Paradise Reclaimed
by Mystic Blade
Summary: The sequel to 'Strings Of Hope'. Christopher is now headed for the homeworld to seek aid for his people while creating the cure while Wikus tries to survive in his new life as a poleepkwa on Earth. What obstacles will they face as one travels the stars and the other struggles to maintain their last shreds of humanity? ChrisxOC, TaniaxWikus, and as always, plenty of Oliver cuteness.
1. Prologue: A New Tomorrow

******Disclaimer: **I own nothing of this wonderful franchise but Amaya, OC aliens and governments of my creation, and OC's that live on Earth.

******Inspired By:** Hans Zimmer- "_Oogway Ascends_" (A beautiful piece that just tied into this prologue so YouTube it to accompany the little fella)

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**Prologue**: _A New Tomorrow  
_

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It was all so long ago but he remembered it distinctly as if it were yesterday, each memory adding a strand to the long tapestry that was his life. The old generations remembered the day when hope ascended into the heavens to return to the stars, rejoicing when their prayers were answered with salvation years later as their imprisoning shackles were unbound. Younger generations would learn the toils and sacrifices of those who came before, those who paved the way with blood and tears to achieve freedom for their people. Their names would forever be remembered on the beautiful sapphire monument erected in the revered capital of Thalis, the site where the rescue ships had landed to welcome its lost people back home where they belonged. It was somehow fitting that he lived in the flourishing metropolis of his world where species of all kinds visited for diplomatic, residential, business, or scholarly reasons- the ruling government was also housed there.

He had lived the preserved history firsthand from the first moment he drew breath and carried all of his ancestors' teachings to pass them onto future generations, reminding them to never forget. The sacrifices of their people were to be honored and the unlimited freedom with its potential that had been claimed would not go to the waste. It had taken time but his people had regained their former glory as master engineers for the Alliance, harnessing all branches of the field as they spread throughout the galaxy to take their place beside the other species. Liberty had granted life to the oppressed and a voice to those too weak to speak; he wielded his voice to fight for any injustice among his people or any race that existed in the endless dark veil of their galaxy. Sight allowed him to gaze upon alien worlds that many of the older generations would never have the chance to and always grasped a small clump of dirt in gratuity to the freedom fighters that gave him this chance. His hearing that was no longer forced under the penalty of death to hear one dialect alone had tuned into more than a hundred dialects since his induction as the GA ambassador to his people decades prior. In his mind, century-long memories of history that his mother and father recited would not be forgotten through the passage of time as he carried the best intentions for his people to continue the work the previous generation began.

His story was not yet finished as he walked his own path of life, barely one-hundred and seven years, being the beacon of hope of his species and a green finger tapped the transparent datapad with blue glowing letters. Records of historical accounts of his family, friends, and other survivors flashed across the screen to hurl his mind back to those turbulent times as he'd been tasked with writing his first memoir. Nonetheless, he was never one to procrastinate work and always wanted to get a head start to outline his thoughts and spoke softly with a smooth voice that conveyed confidence, "I am Oliver Johnson, I am Yunthorii of the Zalar clan, the oldest son of the Hero of Thalis, Ambassador to the Akhali System, and other titles that could fill pages but this is my story. . .my tale. . .my beginning. . .my, uh. . .," pausing, his calm expression faltered and he murmured thoughtfully, "This is harder than I anticipated."

Azure eyes flecked with gold gazed through the clear window of his large empty office, staring into the horizon of a lilac-gray sunset where pristine white buildings glowed against the pastel hue of the sky. The earthy chocolate hue of his knee-length coat billowed with his graceful steps as the tall poleepkwa approached the cathedral-shaped window, the silver gauntlets over his forearms chiming gently against the metal windowsill as he leaned against the large window that offered a scenic overview of his beloved city. It was one he never tired of seeing. One slender hand lifted to touch the clan emblem his father had given him many decades ago when he'd left home, their insignia chiseled elegantly onto it, and the bronze metal glinted against the sunlight as it rested in the center of his chest where it was pinned to delicate sky blue clothes that he'd never have imagined wearing in his youth. No, during those days, he'd been lucky to keep his small shorts stitched together to last another month while hoping winter wouldn't freeze him during sleep.

His long antennae flattened briefly against his head, the old action never leaving him despite his age as he'd been deemed to be one of the most compassionate members of his kind since he never denied aid to those in need. He was never very good at writing about himself, akin to hearing tales and writing them down for himself for storage in his library and his antennae flicked with hints of uncertainty. His father held a tone that garnered his undivided attention during storytelling, a voice compelling enough that it warranted the aid of a galaxy while his mother's humble tales held their own grace to draw emotion from all hearts (regardless of species); what would his tone be? Out of the dozens of inspiring speeches he'd prepared for audiences throughout the years, both on Thalis and before the Galactic Alliance, he found himself tongue-tied about his own tale. Sometimes he wondered why he agreed to write autobiographies due to the hassle but what his parents and their allies achieved, they deserved to have their story preserved throughout the ages. If he allowed someone else to gather facts and make their own assumptions, they could get something wrong- he never allowed mistakes.

He tapped his finger over the datapad to find a specific folder that he connected to his entire private network, manuscripts that had been written down by hand by his parents for safekeeping in his and his siblings' home. They weren't eternal but their memories would live on and if it was his turn to shed light on those dark days when many cried for salvation from oppression, he would do so. . .because he had been one of them. Oliver smiled the trademark poleepkwa smile that held the power to captivate an audience when a familiar feminine voice that had soothed his fears for years spoke aloud in the empty office, _"I've never felt as free as I did when I awoke within the mothership, gazing at you while you slept away all of the stress you endured during the escape. That day, I was the proudest mother in the universe. . ."_

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**A/N**: Welcome to the new story of Christopher's journey! I couldn't decide who to use for the prologue since Amaya started it off in the first tale and decided, why not the adorable face that's fighting for freedom? As we can see, Oliver was given the future his parents dreamed of since his birth but we'll be onboard to see that journey. The first chapter will be posted soon as I've finished writing the outlines for the sequel as I tweaked a few points to save time so we'll be meeting up with Christopher in space and Wikus on Earth. _  
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	2. Dreams Weaved Into Reality

**Inspired By: **Howard Shore- "Houses Of Healing", Clinton Shorter- Lots Of Secrets", and Clint Mansell- "Leaving Earth"

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**Dreams Weaved Into Reality  
**

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_"The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the impossible"_ -Arthur C. Clarke

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Amaya opened her eyes groggily as she awoke from surgery and hazy light was the first thing she encountered before her sight focused on the pearly white ceiling above her. The thought of heaven was both frightening and enlightening at the same time since she'd accomplished getting her son off Earth but as her mind cleared from its sleepy state, she realized that she was in a large room. No heaven, just bright lights. For a moment, it was a letdown as a reward for everything she'd endured and wondered where she could possibly be. She noticed she was lying on her stomach and gazed around to see a large white metal bed beside hers, the iridescent metal berth containing white cushioning on top for a patient's comfort. It wasn't a typical human hospital bed with its size in length and panic seized her to her current location. Where was she?! She didn't want to know she'd accidentally ended up as an MNU lab rat and was ready to bail . . . but stopped when she caught sight of a little green form curled up beside her.

Oliver.

He was sleeping soundly next to her left side and she sighed in relief, her fear melting completely to the pleasant sight of the slumbering youngling. If Oliver was here and perfectly safe, then she had no reason to fear because Christopher wouldn't be too far away from their child. Now, the only question was: Where was she? She could only recount the moments of being shot in the back and running through a battlefield in Christopher's arms. After that, her mind had removed the rest from her short-term memory. Moving her sore shoulders to stretch the tense muscles, she winced painfully when sharp pain stabbed her behind the right shoulder and groaned with regret for doing that in the first place.

"Please don't tell me I still have a bullet in me" she groaned miserably because the pain had been unbearable and collapsed onto the bed again to relieve the pain in her shoulder. Oliver's thin form brought a small smile to her face and she wrapped her left arm around him to give him warmth. Oh, how she loved her baby. His antennae twitched slightly as his left leg kicked subconsciously in his sleep and she doted lovingly, "Aren't you the sweetest little baby I ever did see."

"You look just like him when you sleep" she chuckled softly in regards to Christopher's appearance when he slept in during mornings on a day off and kissed his forehead tenderly. Her eyes took in every inch of Oliver's appearance in case this was a wonderful dream and she'd wake to a horrific reality. Every time she gazed at him, everything else faded away because he was the only one who mattered. He was sleeping soundly after everything and she reminded herself to make sure he'd change the dusty torn clothes to begin his exposure to boundless freedom, smiling fondly, "I've missed waking you like I did when you were a baby. How you loved your little pieces of fruit in the morning."

Christopher walked into the bay after surveying each of the ten levels of the ship, taking inventory of what lingered inside the ship and scheduled tests to run immediately to fix any problems. Despite his people were a race of engineers, a ship was bound to break and after its many dormant years, one had to be certain nothing would surprise them. The humans had left it surprisingly clean (no doubt to sterilize any contagions) after their arrival but most rooms were completely bare after families took whatever meaningful remainders they had left with them down to the city. Lavatories, eateries, purified water, and baths were fully functioning and would last the three months of the trip. He'd never been so happy to see the familiar quarter his family occupied during the exodus and it was bittersweet since he was the only one out of the four who remained, wishing his younger siblings could be alongside him. He decided that it would be his room once again and had transferred the boxes of belongings he and Oliver packed from the module. Unfortunately, he'd no idea on what Amaya would do since she had no clothes or personal items due to his hasty change of plans when he'd brought her along.

_She can borrow mine, after all, they're human_, he thought easily since nobody on Thalis would know what human garb for either gender looked like and that was that. He wanted Amaya to feel safe and secure onboard the vessel since she was part of their group now and would show her everything that the universe could offer. Hopefully, it would lend a hand of aid for his people after landing on Thalis.

As he entered the med bay, he spotted Amaya cradling Oliver close and smiled in relief that she had awoken from the arduous surgery. A shiver trailed down his spine in reminder to the terrifying experience because he was no doctor and her alien system could've gone into shock with the simplest mistake (and he had committed one). Her face held its pale shade but the regenerating blood serums would take care of that in a few days to bring back the full caramel tone of her skin and the peach blush of her cheeks. Approaching her bed, he assessed her injury with his eyes to make sure there was no bruising around the wound to signify internal bleeding and spoke softly with a smile, "I'm glad you're awake. You're inside the mothership's healing area, I brought you here to seal your injury. How do you feel?"

"Like I've been shot" she joked lightly with a faint smile and rested comfortably against the bed on her stomach, curling an arm around Oliver's sleeping form to keep him warm. Lying face down was never a good position, even with highly advanced technology, but she had to make due to heal the wound and the bedding was incredibly soft. It was incredibly soft, actually, and enough to put human hospital beds to shame with its material. Why hadn't MNU decided to use this idea rather than weaponry? Honestly, the things humankind did for profit. The lower lids of her eyes rose in a smile similar to his and he returned it wholeheartedly, his heart fluttering with warmth when she whispered gratefully, "Thank you for saving me, Christopher. Once I was shot, I thought 'this is it for me' but you didn't give up on me."

"I'd never let you die if I could stop it and thankfully, I did" he sighed tiredly from the nerve-racking moment and glanced over at their sleeping child, his handy helper that ensured her survival with his studies. His young mind had studied many topics throughout the years, some he couldn't comprehend yet, and couldn't be prouder of the child they'd created as he carried their best traits. It carried into his voice as he shifted his gaze from Oliver to her, explaining the dire situation with the least gory facts, "Actually, our bright little youngling was the one who told me what to do because I ran into a problem on sealing a tear in your blood vessel. It appears his curiosity on humans paid off."

"I told you he'd be the greatest" she beamed with an exhausted smile because she'd always encouraged her little one to read, bringing whatever books she could find, and stroked his ridged back gently. Her stormy eyes brightened considerably to the new hope on their horizon, her thick raven hair pooling around her cheek as she breathed softly to the future that lay ahead, "You did it and you're taking him home to be safe, away from that horrible district. He has the chance for a future now, somewhere out there in the galaxy, even if it can't be Thalis. There are no words to describe the feeling of this accomplishment."

"You'll be exploring this new world as well" he chuckled gently in reminder that she would be joining them for this long journey, ecstatic that he would have her alongside him. The pain of having to leave her behind was agonizing for years and he yearned to have his other half by his side despite the obstacles stacked against them. She frowned to his words and he trilled softly, his antennae lifting on end to the strange expression since he'd expected joy, "What is it?"

"I could've stayed to help your people as they moved to District 10" she explained solemnly because the transition wouldn't be easy for so many people to move to an isolated compound where MNU would reign supreme. Her team had only been able to ensure free health care and food bank donations, barely a scrap in comparison to what she wanted done while Christopher would've been wandering the stars. She wanted to remain behind to ensure the safety of any stragglers by granting them rights, of _any_ kind, to protect them against harm but someone would have to carry her torch onwards. There was nothing she could do as they left planet Earth behind and looked to the bright side of things, smiling faintly to admit, "I'm thankful for what you did, believe me, but not many will fight for your people legally. We're always fighting an uphill battle against MNU, not to mention the city, and now that District 10 awaits them . . . I don't know what'll happen."

"I need you with me as I return to my homeworld, I've no idea what's left and I can't do this alone" he spoke truthfully in private confidence since she was the only one who offered the most support in his dream to achieve freedom and needed her by his side. Their son was too young to understand the consequences and sacrifices needed to win this battle, his mind anxious with worry to what would await him on Thalis. He didn't want to crush Oliver's hope for a future there and he hated to admit his weakness but he'd be distraught as well if everything was gone- a complete extinction to all of the species that roamed Thalis. She had been his confidant for over a decade and she nodded quietly to his request in mutual understanding, his voice barely audible as he whispered, "You've always been by my side-"

"Then I'll be there to help" she promised kindly with whatever aid she could provide, once she finished healing, and returned to gazing at her son. He held the hope to usher in a future free of oppression as the new generation, hoping with all of her heart that they'd find people on Thalis and return with the needed help. She could only imagine how the planet looked, the havoc the plague wreaked on a highly technologically advanced world, and the ravages it left behind. Not everything would go according to plan and she'd protect her child from the harsh realities if they came true, brushing a gentle hand across his head to whisper sweetly, "And I'll be protecting you 24/7, my little one. Christopher, about that last minute plan to tell him about me . . . abort it."

"Why? He should know" he objected firmly as his entire body tensed to keeping the secret rather than airing it out because it would benefit both sides. His son would be joyous to know he had a mother, one that had been diligently guarding him for years and watching him from the shadows with the same love he wielded. For Amaya, however, she didn't want her son to feel abandoned by her actions because she'd missed a lot in his life and he was perfectly happy with his father. Circumstances had forced her to relinquish him into Christopher's care but she didn't expect Oliver to embrace her with open arms to what she'd done.

Her gaze turned downcast with shame and she whispered somberly with the same guilt that failed to leave throughout the years, "He won't see me as he used to-"

"No, he'll see you as his mother, as it should be" he stated matter-of-factly in argument because she'd done everything in her power to protect their child, removing herself from their home to ensure his safety. If the realities had been shifted and her species were the trapped ones within the district, he would've done the same to keep his loved ones alive. There was nothing holding them back now, no reason to keep the secret that had torn their family apart years ago and hissed softly to instill, "You left to _protect_ him from harm and he's out of danger now, traveling the stars to find his new home. There is no need to hide anymore."

"I'm afraid he'll hate me and I want him to be happy, he deserves it after everything he's endured" she whispered solemnly to the pain he'd experienced throughout his life from the lack of decent food and housing, to knowing that he was insignificant in the eyes of her people. If he realized that the only human that he'd been allowed to be in contact with for years had lied to him, it could shatter all of the trust between them. She wanted to hold onto the last strands tying her to their child and kissed one his small hands curled against the bed. Those filthy rags would be removed from his sensitive little wrists because he would never dig through garbage again like a street urchin and her gaze softened to his peaceful expression, "I want what's best for him."

"And I want what's best for _both_ of you" he hissed protectively in order for her to see reason because their son held nothing but love for her, even as a friend. He missed the heartwarming interactions between her and Oliver as she'd doted on him with love fit for any mother. She treasured their child more than anything but her sense of duty to keep him safe was clouding her own judgment and he stroked the top of her head with a gentle hand. The tiniest of smiles cracked on her pale brown lips since his company always soothed her, honored by that unchangeable fact and encouraged softly, "Just focus on resting to heal your wound."

"I will but can you take Oliver to sleep comfortably in another bed? I don't want his muscles to ache later" she requested gently as she watched her youngling's chest rise and fall, his light puffs of air tickling her neck. He was curled up against her so tightly that she was certain one of his limbs would be numb once he woke and wanted to prevent that so he could wander the ship happily because she knew her little one yearned to explore new environments.

"I think he'd rather be with his mother, he's earned it" he rebutted with a soft purr as his eyes smiled with a knowing glitter that caused Amaya to nod in grateful defeat. The sight of seeing his son being held by his mother was endearing and he didn't want it to end, knowing their company brought each of them a sense of peace. They were beautiful in his mind, years' worth of memories saved and to see it once more filled him with hope that they would become a family again one day. Christopher was nothing short but determined and he brushed locks of stray hair away from her eyes as he stated softly, "He loves you, Amaya, and would never treat you differently."

"Do you love me as well?" she whispered faintly without giving him a glance, her eyes focused on their son because little ears could overhear conversations while feigning sleep. Thankfully, Oliver was in a deep sleep and knew nothing of what his parents spoke of. She harbored a love for Christopher that could never break, never hesitating to risk anything for him and yearned to know if he still felt the same. Their conversation of years prior when he'd told her that his feelings had dissipated had shattered her heart but still, she held onto the tiniest glimmer of hope that maybe . . . just _maybe_ . . . he loved her as well.

"Sleep, Amaya" he said simply without answering her question and headed towards the exit with a heavy heart to engross himself with his duties. He could feel her eyes watching his retreating backside as he left, slipping through the automatically opened doors, and cursed himself for not being truthful with her. Yes, he loved her intensely, but did he deserve her after everything she'd been put through for his sake?

* * *

Wikus woke up with the most intense painful throbbing in his frontal cortex and the little light that filtered into the gray room helped decrease the sharp headache pounding at his head. His surroundings became clearer with each blink of the eyes and he could see that he was inside a building he'd used during his first night in the district to hide. Obviously, his kidnappers hadn't been lying about returning him there and he wanted to know what the hell was going on because he didn't appreciate being alien napped. Had they known the previous occupant? Was he safe? Were they intending to hurt him? Bargain with MNU for him? He caught notice of a silhouette near one of the broken windows and he turned to his side to lift himself up.

He almost screamed when he saw two prawn arms in place of his original beige human arms and traced his injured left hand over the new right arm, cursing the transformation. What did that liquid contain that could alter a human's genetic composition so quickly? How advanced were these aliens if their engineering could create space faring ships and chemicals like that? Truly, this was something straight out of a horror movie or comic book! His soft skin was now tough with anthropoid brown-green skin as one hand held three fingers and the other two after his self-mutilation incident. Frantically, he ran his hands over his face to determine whether it was still the same flesh that everyone recognized as Wikus Van Der Merwe. Was he still the same man or had he become an unknown alien that was unrecognizable among the others roaming the bleak district?

His blind touching told him that no, he was no longer that man but an alien creature. . .

"Oh, fook me."

"What?!"

Quickly, he turned to see a grayish-brown prawn with a robust build than most he'd seen with shorter antenna. Wikus could sense the irritated pheromones rolling off him in waves and assumed that was a new mode of sensory perception because humankind certainly didn't have that. Golden yellow eyes narrowed at him in distaste and Wikus knew this guy wasn't going to be as nice as Christopher. In effect to his disillusion, his antennae flattened and he stiffened immediately to the sensation as they held the sense of perception related to acute smell. How the hell was he going to accustom himself to this alien body that was now his? A normal person would be driven to madness by the physical change and the tolls it induced in the mental and emotional sense . . . he didn't want to live like this for _three_ years. How would he be able to bear it?

"Figure of speech" Wikus pointed out coldly and touched his tendrils as the sounds emitting from his mouth weren't pleasing to his hearing as alien growls and clicks were attached. Humans spoke with lips while teeth held back their tongue and their vocal chords produced sound but with prawns, the damn tentacles were all over the place. It was like talking with mop strings hitting your mouth! He used his new facial muscles to rotate the lower jaw and feel out the new mouth he'd unfortunately have to get used to. The universe was certainly laughing at him now that they'd turned the tables on him and he wasn't looking forward to learning a new language, not to mention a culture. He hated to admit it but fitting in with the aliens would prevent MNU from discovering his true identity because he wasn't going to risk capture. The things he'd seen in their research labs . . . he would have nightmares for months.

Turning to the annoyed prawn stationed next to the dusty scratched window, Wikus demanded with his uneasy speech, "Why am I here?"

"If you prefer to die, there's the door" he sneered with a dismissive tone because quite frankly, he didn't care about the transforming human since their species were not to be trusted. His gaze returned to the window, not bothering to see what the human's decision would be since he'd drag him back to the center of the room if he did decide to leave. His antennae perked on end at attention and he turned swiftly when another, a black prawn, pried open the door to enter the pillaged private lab that Christopher had used for his project.

"His transformation's almost complete" the cautious male informed the other and Wikus growled at being talked about as if he wasn't there. The sensory perception of the aliens was more advanced than theirs, each movement and smell dictating a meaning he didn't understand but his new biology knew it by instinct. Not to mention, the prawns held a strength that no human could match. The cranky alien was right in his assumption because his entire upper body had finished the transformation and only his lower legs were left to complete the change, shuddering to the horrendous appearance his body was undergoing.

"Good, he'll have enough time to find a new identity and make the move to District 10" the taller alien replied as he took over their little secret operation and approached Wikus, who immediately scurried back to his corner of the room for protection. Christopher might've been tall but this guy's height was nothing but imposing, feeling the size of an ant under his silver gaze as the stranger pointed out dryly, "If I wanted to kill you, you'd be dead. I'm not like your kind that brandishes violence at anything remotely different. Maybe this lifestyle will give you harsh revelations of what you've criticized for years, human."

"My name . . . is Wikus!" he hissed fiercely as he slurred through a few of the words, the enforced basic language allowing communication between them. The strange sensation of tendrils and mandibles moving at the same time, the lack of teeth at the front in similarity to his old mouth was driving him insane. He didn't know if these creatures had the ability to shed tears but he was close as the horrible reality that he was stuck in a land unknown to him with beings that hated him with a vengeance frightened him. He should've just been a teacher like his parents wanted and avoided this ironic catastrophe.

"No, your _name_ will be John Robinson" the black prawn replied sharply and Wikus had to blanch at that hideously plain name, a hiss leaving his mouth for the first time to show his displeasure. The other alien trilled amusingly from his spot across the room, commenting that it sounded like a hatchling's hiss rather than an adult's.

"Why should I . . . do anything of what you . . . say? You _kidnapped_ me!" he snapped irately since the knockout strike had been painful but couldn't help and wonder why they were doing it. Most humans didn't help out strangers without having ulterior motives in play (well, in the business world anyway) and yet, these two were standing here before him. What was the catch? What were they trying to achieve? And why couldn't he move the alien tendrils on his mouth to speak fluently?!

"I'm only helping you because Christopher obviously trusted a human- MNU, no less- to help him escape and he did" he stated simply and gripped his shoulder to pull him up on his feet as if he weighed nothing. Paul wanted to be sure that the company couldn't track down the human that had the lost link they'd been searching for to unlock their weaponry because a species that acted like spoiled children when they couldn't have somebody's well-earned technology didn't deserve that ownership. Also, he couldn't have MNU retracing Christopher's work and flush out everyone that had helped him because he had a family to protect and feed. Paul peered into Wikus' golden eyes, his shorter posture clearly displaying his hostility with the situation but the taller alien calmly asked, "Now, are you going to wallow in self-pity or actually take charge of your new life?"

"I don't have to fookin' do anythin'! I lost my life, m-my house, my job, my a-angel, to a bunch of smelly p-prawns!" he yelled furiously with a growl to his unsteady speech and kicked the dirty mattress he'd been sleeping on as an outlet to his inner rage (sighing mentally when a cloud of dust dispersed). This was not how his life was supposed to be! All he wanted was a good job, a house, and a happy marriage for the rest of his days. Had it been too much to ask? How was he supposed to carry on like this for three years? He grasped the sides of his head, the tough skin completely foreign to his new fingers as the old soft flesh no longer existed and he exclaimed indignantly, "I'm one of you. . . and I can never return home. Don't tell me how to fuckin' feel. . . when you haven't been there!"

"I _have_ because your people robbed me of my culture and stole our technology to make it theirs without permission, leaving us to wallow in this place!" Paul barked at him fiercely and gripped him by his sensitive antennae to cease the man's hissing fit because comparing their cultures would always leave his in the win for deplorable conditions. If anything, there was no competition at all because since their arrival, the lowest social class had been upgraded to government funded buildings while their people received the shoddy homes and materials. Wikus held back a yell at the pain shooting down his spine as the man held onto his poor antennae and the dark poleepkwa stated irately, "We came to this world for help because we had nowhere else to turn, we could've ascended your species by a century in technology but you threw the chance away with your harsh treatment. My people barely have food or clothing, their jobs are menial and heavily underpaid, our children starve to death and destroyed before our very eyes, and we're shot for any reason- regulation or not. There are days when my children cannot _eat_ because of your ridiculous wages and taxes, my mate and I have been sick three times this year without having decent medical treatment, a human dock worker receives double in wages than one of my own and despite how hard I want to give my family a future- none of you allow us equality to bring that to them! You tell me who has it worse in this shithole we call life."

Wikus was about to answer but the gray-brown male knocked him out again by hitting him over the neck with a small nearby stool. He collapsed onto the floor immediately in a heap, his limbs sprawled everywhere without movement as Wikus was rendered unconscious once more. The tall black poleepkwa turned towards Adam with a small glare and sighed with disbelief, "Do you _really _have to keep doing that?"

"It helped him speed up the transformation for the last three days and the damn screeching annoys me" his friend replied with a small grunt since the angry hisses irritated him rather quickly and threw the stool on the floor. The shoddy condition of the poor furniture matched the abandoned lab as its lack of a leg had turned it into common trash that littered every meter of the district. Adam hadn't looked forward to playing babysitter for a human-turned-poleepkwa but they couldn't allow MNU to find him and give them more ammunition, growling under his breath, "What now, Paul? News will spread eventually and you know John will be aching to break in his new spine."

"He'll simmer down, both of them" Paul said optimistically and dragged the unconscious Wikus back to his mattress to let him sleep away the anger to either resume the argument or accept the situation. His transformation was almost complete, everything from the waist up had undergone the drastic change and even he had to wince when he saw the chunks of soft pinkish flesh falling off to reveal the narrow poleepkwa spine. It was an internal conflict the human couldn't win, only accept it, because life would not be easy. Oddly enough, his coloring reminded him of Christopher's except his friend was much slimmer around the shoulders.

_I hope you made it out all right_, Paul thought hopefully since the recent days had him and Adam in joy that Christopher had completed his goal to return home for aid. The entire district had been talking about it with renewed hope that freedom would come their way now that Christopher had left with the ship and Paul could only encourage that optimism rather than wallow in uncertainty. His own children had been curious as well and Paul was unofficially left as the second-in-command of their group since he'd yet to see Amaya, hoping that MNU hadn't caught her. _I'm sure Oliver is jumping in happiness and I can only carry on in wait that one day my younglings can leave too._

"Keep watching him, I brought you some food Erica could spare" he told his childhood friend and gave him a small blue plastic container holding portions of meat, fruit, and other edible food. After utilizing him as a watcher for Wikus, he deserved something decent to eat because he'd have a hard time foraging for anything in the bare heaps and most of the good meat had been bought by now. Adam was grateful for any decent food and would be eating it all within minutes since he hadn't had anything to eat since yesterday afternoon.

"How's little Jessie?" the stockier male asked, knowing his friend had his hands full with his two younglings already and thanked him sincerely for the goods. Paul, Christopher, James, and he had been as close as natural brothers could be after meeting during their first years in the district and were never far apart. James had found him hiding behind crates from human gangs after he'd found clothes to wear over his eight-year old frame, always edgy since he was the only child in his family to survive and he was afraid of being exterminated by MNU or injured by his others. Paul and Christopher met when young Paul had picked up tattered books in the streets to learn and Christopher invited him to share his. The four inadvertently met when James and Paul were ready to fight over a can of tuna in the heaps but Christopher solved it by sharing it in equal portions, leading the four into a truce that eventually led into lifelong friendship. James had always been the most rebellious of the bunch but he was Adam's dearest friend and his death was a loss for all of them, especially now that Christopher had left. They were the only two left and would take care of each other in this new exodus.

"Always hungry but Christopher gave us a few cans of food Amaya brought him" Paul answered with a fond smile since his hatchling had eaten an entire can of applesauce in a day, chirping for more but he had to explain there was none left. If anyone knew how hard it was to maintain a child, it was Christopher. He'd had a child at a young age (Paul was the oldest of the quartet) and a premature hatchling at that! His son had asked where Oliver had gone and he told him the truth, to get help for their people. There was nowhere Christopher traveled that Oliver didn't tag along, admiring everything his father did, and knew that child was happy to be away from the district. Paul hoped his friend would return safely one day so his own children could live free as well and he could build them a decent home on the homeworld that he could leave for them when he returned to the dust. His fingers brushed over a bracelet on his left wrist of multicolor string his children had fondly made for him and stated softly, "She brought a few clothes for us too, especially the children. I don't see why you never trusted her."

"She's human, I will never trust one" he replied snippily since he'd always maintained a space of indifference towards the woman because quite frankly, the whole species unnerved him. Despite the years, Amaya was loyal to Christopher but Adam doubted she'd relinquish her entire species for a mere friendship and time had only served to drive a wedge between them. That didn't speak well for the future relation or bridging of their species.

"Don't turn out like John" the older male lectured with a stern glare because said poleepkwa had become a recent troublemaker for the humans and the other hissed for being chastised. The white poleepkwa had stirred trouble for MNU and tended to brawl with human gang members or anyone human for that matter, insistent on crushing anyone that trespassed into their district. Paul didn't want to react with the same harsh and demeaning behavior that the humans were imprinting on them to make future generations weaker and stated knowingly, "Grief can turn into hate and hate into malevolence, we already lost James so enough is enough. Not all humans are the same, Amaya's legal mind has gotten us a new batch of medics coming in to stay in District 10 permanently so that has to tell you something. Progress is slow but I still hold onto the belief that it _is_ happening."

"More humans disgusted by us that would rather leave but stay for pity's sake?" he pointed out derisively since he'd yet to meet a group that didn't raise their ugly nose against them in superiority or disdain. Since childhood, he'd been met with the same attitude by all MNU officials and avoided them like the plague since his past encounters didn't leave him wanting more of their attention. He didn't want more of those creatures prancing around with pompous 'better than thou' attitudes because he wanted to be left in peace and snorted, "No thanks. I don't hate humans, I just don't trust them. They're eerie. Have you seen their tiny eyes and all that hair? And the fingers and wiggling toes?"

"Don't tell me they frighten you" Paul laughed softly because humans were delicate beyond anything if they ever went up against one of their own in a fair fight without weapons and his friend glared at the jab.

"No, I'm saying they're ugly" Adam shot back defensively because his paranoia helped keep him alive all these years as he avoided all types of conflicts and crossed his arms to state airily, "Good thing Christopher stopped spending so much time with Amaya before he became known as one of those human fuckers in public. It wouldn't have been long either with the way she stuck around him but Christopher saved himself the grief in the long run. I told you she'd leave him alone as she aged and the whole alien fascination became tedious for her so I was right."

"Yes, you're right" the black poleepkwa replied casually and made a note to _never_ let a slip of his tendril implicate the real relationship between Christopher and Amaya. They had been lovers in a world that wasn't ready to accept the true bond between two species but the love hadn't ended between the two despite they'd called an end to it. If anything, it endured with the passage of time and strengthened. Paul wasn't blind to the way Christopher lamented her every time he spoke of the past and whenever Amaya visited, her longing gaze towards his younglings told Paul how much she missed her own family. His friend had sacrificed a lot but Paul would hold the fort until he returned, more than ready to head home to spend time with his beloved family and informed, "I have to return to help Erica with our hatchling because the other two will deplete her energy with their giddiness. Can I trust you not to give him a concussion?"

"Fine, if that's what you want" he growled in exasperation because he didn't want to spend his free time babysitting a human abomination that shamed their very culture. He hissed in distaste to the unconscious Wikus, hoping his mattress had painful rusty springs to leave his limbs sore and crossed his arms to mutter flatly for having his fun ruined, "Spoilsport."

* * *

Christopher stared in amazement as he watched his youngling splash happily in the public baths of the mothership. He was waist deep in one of the water pools reserved for children and dunked himself inside joyfully, his happy trills echoing throughout the empty vast room. It was a solemn reminder to how broken his people had become over the passage of time since the large room had been filled by the ship's old occupants every day. Christopher had brought his siblings there whenever they worried about the future or asked for their father, determined to keep their young minds away from what was truly happening. He had always been a defender for his family, taking on the burden to protect them but even his best efforts weren't enough to save them all. All he had now was a ship full of hope and his only child, one he was determined not to lose in his journey. He snapped out of his grim rumination when Oliver jumped out of the pool and splashed his legs with water as he greeted him happily- he had never been a child concerned with modesty.

"Oliver, what did I say about splashing?" Christopher warned because having him slip through his perky jumping would bring him quite a fright and walked over to inspect his son's state of cleanliness. Checking his skin thoroughly, the child groaned in disappointment because he'd scrubbed every spot until his shiny green skin peeked through but his father groomed his backside meticulously for any lingering spots of caked dirt. Oliver left a puddle as the seconds ticked away, dipping his small toes in the cool water for fun as Christopher mused, "I thought you hated baths."

"I like this one, it's warm and large" he purred sweetly to his new delight because the water was cozily warm and glided his hand over the water's surface to let it slide through his fingers. The water back on Earth had been the coldest when his father couldn't to heat it for him and they were forced to use the public baths monitored by MNU, disliking the cold warehouse with the endless row of people. Humans had their own bathrooms for privacy and he could call this one his because he could swim to his heart's content, purring contently, "Its home."

"We have three months until we reach it" his father reminded with a warm chuckle and patted him dry with a towel to bring his bath to a conclusion. Oliver would've stayed for hours since the water was sweetly inviting after lacking decent showers since birth and wanted his true hue to shine through. Oliver's skin was a light green in comparison to Christopher's grassy green but molting through the years would either lighten or darken his skin. Giving him a warm smile for his enthusiasm, he was glad to see he'd overcome his apprehension of water after years of carefully planned bath times that wouldn't leave Christopher missing an antenna and suggested, "Would you like a swimming lesson later on?"

"Really?" Oliver trilled with excitement and wrapped his damp arms around his father's hips as he stood outside the pool, his mandibles clacking happily to the idea. If he could learn to swim, he could do just about anything with his new life! With a perky jump, he cheered hastily for learning new things (especially skills) as he hopped on the front of his feet, "Yes, yes, yes!"

"All right, I have your clothes here so it's time to get out" Christopher chuckled softly with a smile and pulled his youngling away from the pool as Oliver protested that he needed more time. Water dripped over the clean metal floor from his wet feet but Oliver smiled when Christopher grabbed a plush towel to pat his little feet dry since he'd always obey his father. He wasn't used to his father's technology since he'd grown up using human items that were worn or broken but he'd learn with an eager mind because this was _his_ culture. He would now be free to learn about his roots, about the people that he belonged to, and where he fit into that grand scheme because his father wouldn't give up on rebuilding their home. His father patted his backside dry and cleaned the tight space between his scales to make sure all of the grime gathered on Earth was gone while Oliver waited impatiently. He wanted to keep exploring the ship and peek into each room to find new trinkets and technology to study (never touching, of course).

Soon, he was dressed in clean cotton brown shorts and a long-sleeved black shirt that he'd packed away from Amaya's monthly batches. His father had given away clothes he wouldn't use during the final months of their project and he'd stored the best she'd brought him since his father told him to make sure his belongings were onboard. He'd already filled his room with toys and had neatly stored away his boxes of clothes into sleek metallic dressers for safekeeping, happy to open the clean drawers that didn't squeak or become stuck when pulled. Before he scampered away, Christopher pulled him back with one arm and applied the usual dose of the green conditioning balm over his exposed skin to keep it hydrated as he hissed to the fatherly care. Oliver couldn't ask for a better parent but at the moment, he wanted to scuttle off to explore but Christopher wasn't having any of that until he was nicely groomed.

"Me go now?" he whined to his parent after five minutes as he fidgeted in his grip and Christopher sighed softly, allowing him to leave. Otherwise, those wiggling limbs would just smear the balm everywhere and he released the impatient youngling to fold the messy towel into a neat square.

Innocently, Oliver clasped his hands over his chest to persuade his father not to lecture him on being impulsive and chirped sweetly, "I love you."

"Go on now, little one" his father chuckled fondly at his charming attempt to overlook his impatience and patted his bum so he could wander off to play. His son was happy and free, which is all that mattered since nobody could bring him harm on the mothership. With Amaya onboard and healing, he'd have an extra eye on their child so he wouldn't become lost on the large vessel. Life. . .was changing for the better, one day at a time.

With a happy trill, Oliver entered the wide hallway as the metal doors slid open to the cooler outside and his blue eyes lingered on the large windows lining the entire passage for scenic viewing. Endless space. A black veil filled with beautiful white stars that glittered like freshly polished jewels he'd seen in tattered magazines. He'd often watch that same blanket of night from his front door, trying to determine where Thalis was or how his father would avoid crashing into a star (Christopher assured it was impossible), and now. . .he was soaring within that great veil himself. He loved watching the stars pass by as they traveled quietly in space without a sound (his father had explained the concept of vacuums and sound travel but he'd zoned out to look at pictures of planets)and had often found his hands clenching at the thought of holding one of those jewels in his pocket.

He'd just seen the Milky Way's large gas planets, Jupiter and Saturn, pass by in the last day and had chirped throughout the whole view as Amaya sat by him with astonished eyes. She'd been very tired a few days after the surgery but she wouldn't miss the once in a lifetime chance to see her solar system's beautiful planets orbit silently in space just as her planet did. Despite the fatigue and lingering pain, she'd sat on the windowsill with a few pillows propped for comfort beside her son as he'd ooh'd and awed through it all. Oliver could only wonder how his own world would be when they finally arrived and he'd take his first steps over the ground of his ancestors. His father had once drawn it for him with crayons and although it appeared similar to Earth, the size and orbiting satellites were entirely different.

As his short footsteps echoed loudly against the metal flooring, he smiled widely when he spotted Amaya sitting on one of the windowsills with a book in hand. Hurriedly, he ran up to her with his steps softly clacking with each stride and she chuckled softly to his fast trots- they sounded so happy already. Her son had changed dramatically in color since his recent daily bathing washed off years' worth of grime and his wardrobe had cast away the tattered yellow shirt and star studded shorts. He was no longer dusty, hungry, or scared as the ship provided him a sanctuary and Amaya was happy to see his eyes were brighter than a star itself. He dove joyfully into her open arms but pulled himself up onto the windowsill since she was still on the road to recovery (careful not to injure her shoulder) and sat on her lap with a proud chirp, "I took a bath and father gave me new clothes to wear. Look."

"You're the cutest youngling in sight" she doted affectionately as he pulled on the fabric of his new spotless clothes (they'd even had _tags_!) and he smiled proudly for finally feeling like a little boy should. She smoothed out the shoulders of his shirt to fit his different body structure, smiling fondly to the cute shorts that complemented his slim green legs. She'd picked out clothes specifically to fit his small frame, sometimes altering a few at home in the shoulders to make sure they'd fit her little youngling's physique. Her wound was almost healed by Christopher's technology but pain would reside for a while longer as her internal muscle fibers repaired themselves (Basic Advil couldn't cover all pain). She was now staying in a room a few doors down from Christopher's so she wouldn't become lost in the vast ship and always carried a paper map because a single turn could make her lose track of her path. It gave her the creeps at night due to its silent emptiness and Christopher tagged along to assure her nothing was wrong (reassuring no evil monsters lurked as they did in human films). It didn't ease her at all but holding his hand like a youngling helped as he compared her to their son, earning him a poke between his scales for the jab.

"I'm the only youngling here" he pointed out with confusion and his innocent gaze made her laugh softly. Yes, he was the only child onboard but they would make sure that their return trip would bring children of all ages back to Thalis where they belonged. Amaya could only hope they would be able to last through the cold temperatures and lack of decent food, hoping that her legal battles would give them an advantage and others would carry on her torch for equal rights. The newly ordained medical help would arrive immediately after District 10 processed all residents to begin providing medical care and knew for a fact that her sister, Elenor, would be in one of the teams. They would set up bungalows for temporary clinics to give special care for children, expectant poleepkwa, the elderly, and those with current disorders. Amaya had hoped to begin the process of foster parenting to help bridge the gap between species because she knew of others that held no ill will towards poleepkwa and wished to provide a home for a child that no longer had parents. Just like human children, poleepkwa were heavily dependent on their parents for survival and would perish within days without help. Hopefully, somebody else would carry on that workload and wished her sister the best because Amaya was no medical expert but there were many that needed help inside the compound.

"Meaning no competition and more cuddling time" she squealed playfully and snatched him close to pretend she was hugging him into suffocation. He laughed loudly to the exaggerated affection and his sounds bounced off the walls in echoes as she gave him all the affection she could muster to make up for lost time. She missed him immensely during the last few months with the stressful times and the wedding had broken her into shambles whenever she thought of him. He was her baby, her firstborn, and she wouldn't trade him for _any_ human child to replace the wonderful gift she'd received on that rainy November night.

"So what're we going to do for the next three months?" she asked him excitedly to get his little neurons firing to the endless possibilities and faked a pondering look, tapping her chin in thought, "Hmm."

"Hide and seek?" he chirped hopefully since there was endless space to roam through the ship and she nodded agreeably to the idea, making a mental note to restrict it to one level to prevent losing him. His father never let him run off alone in the district and the boundless freedom stirred excitement in his heart because nothing was barred from him anymore. He could play anything and anywhere he wanted now!

"There we go! And we can play adventures, build a make-believe fortress, and watch the planets pass by" she suggested other ideas as she used her fingers to count off each and he chirped enthusiastically to each. He didn't have enough fingers for the extra ideas that hers held and went by her count with a bright smile. How would he decide what to do first? His little fingers tapped in contemplation as freedom never tasted so sweet, leaning against Amaya to embrace her happily because he had a playmate. She couldn't help but squeeze his lean form against hers, basking in her freedom to show her motherly affection and promised sweetly, "Anything you want, sweet pea."

"I'm glad you're staying" he chirped shyly with bright blue eyes, curling up against her with a content purr as he managed to keep her by his side despite the initial statistics stacked against it. He'd been upset to know that she couldn't come and when he'd activated the mothership, knew that not all of his people would come away with them. He would be there to return with his father, despite his small body could never put up a fight, and would help however he could to give other children a home on Thalis. His blue eyes were fixated on the black veil of space as millions of stars glittered as symbols of hope that he would reach home soon, gazing up at Amaya to admit softly, "I'd be sad without you and father. When he told me you weren't coming, I was very sad . . . but you came . . . you came for us."

The words struck the cord Christopher kept plucking about admitting her true tie to their family and she kissed the top of his head to whisper solemnly, "I'd be sad too, Oliver."

She rested her back against the wall, taking it easy on her right shoulder, and held him in her arms as the stars passed by. Thankfully, fate had decided to grant their wishes to remain together and she would have another chance where she could live beside her dear child. Half an hour passed before the two gasped in amazement as Neptune came into full view. The rich azure coloring was gorgeous as the faint light of the sun struck the large planet and Amaya knew they were leaving her system entirely, an admirable feat since it took humans years with their satellites to breach the same distance. Who would've thought a simple down-to-earth Jo'burg woman like her would wander the stars in a similar fashion as astronauts had? It was unbelievable. She wouldn't see her planet or family for three years, living entirely in an alien world and possibly visiting others. Random thoughts of worry had entered her mind lately since she hadn't planned for this at all but she remained focused on healing but now. . .

"Say bye-bye Earth" she murmured softly and Oliver mimicked the hand motion he'd seen humans perform, purring in relief that he'd never return to the awful shack he'd called home. She smiled faintly to what she was leaving behind but preferred her son's company to any planet she was on a million times over. As long as she could hold him and hear his sweet soft-spoken voice, he was all that mattered in the universe. The past days were heaven to her as she spoke and kept Oliver company continually while Christopher watched over the ship to make sure everything was on its normal course.

Amaya smiled modestly as she saw Christopher walk up to them, no doubt searching for his Houdini youngling that eluded him at least twice a day. Oliver trilled with awe as he pointed to the planet before them so his father could gaze at it as well and Christopher nodded quietly since he'd seen the particular planet on his arrival trip to Earth. He'd stood just like Oliver, with his curious siblings by his side, and had been excited to gaze at all the alien planets as they hoped one would shelter them- he _never_ wanted to see any of them ever again after this. He loved Amaya and the beauty her solar system held but the painful memories and experiences couldn't overcome the staggering heartache he'd received on Earth. Amaya simply watched her youngling's bright face and scooted over so Christopher could sit beside them, offering a welcome smile. His slim frame fit easily on the long windowsill and her blue-gray eyes twinkled at seeing him don black cotton shorts and a long-sleeved yellow t-shirt over his frame.

"To ward off the cold" he explained with a modest tone since he'd ruined his tattered vest pressurizing her wound and his simple loincloth was discarded for the longer shorts. He'd been packing away the best of their belongings to make sure they were comfortable on the journey to Thalis and was glad to wear new clothes. She nodded quietly as a sly smile played on her lips but caressed Oliver's head as their youngling was happily trilling about the beautiful planets, wishing he had a gadget to capture the sight. Christopher never tired of seeing the two together since they portrayed the mother-son bond perfectly in their interactions and waited for the day she would agree to confess the truth to their son. He understood her reluctance, she loved their child more than anything and if he indeed mistrusted her afterwards, she'd be crushed by it.

_But it was done to protect him_, he thought solemnly because Amaya's first concern was for their child. Breaking their bond had been one of the hardest decisions made between them and all of them suffered emotionally in order to keep their dear child safe from harm. Oliver had been so small during his first breath and to see him now as a healthy child as he pointed to the stars was a reward for their efforts, _To keep him safe and alive from MNU's clutches._

Oliver told her giddily that he saw a moon in the distance and pointed it out while trying to recall its name, mumbling out every name he could think of. She replied with a compliment to his scoping skills since the planetary moons were in the far distance as they twinkled faintly in the void of space and he tugged at his father's hand for his say. Christopher smiled to his enthusiasm because he wanted Oliver to enjoy his new freedom, chuckling when he finally popped out the answer 'Triton' with pride, and complimented his growing knowledge, "Couldn't have said it better myself. You could learn star maps and be our guide all the way to Thalis."

"I'm smart?" he trilled to himself with confidence and Amaya nodded, smothering him in another hug to encourage his self-esteem. He remained perched across her torso as he watched the stars silently in happiness that he held no more worries and could do as he pleased. In his young years, he finally felt what his father had yearned for decades inside his mother's shack and sighed softly with contentment, "And free."

"Yes, you are" Christopher spoke softly and ran a hand over his backside gently, chuckling when he purred softly and cuddled against Amaya to relax. He could see tears in her eyes for their achievement after years of hard work and without a thought, he touched his forehead against her left temple. She smiled instantly for the affectionate touch and grazed her cheek over his with a faint murmur of his name before resting her head on his shoulder. Quietly, he rested his chin on the top of her head and closed his eyes for a small moment of reflection.

'_So you'll head this way because if you go that way, the sun will burn you' Amaya's ten year-old voice informed Christopher as the two lay on the floor on their bellies, reading over books about space exploration. Months prior, he'd told her he wanted to head home one day because he could no longer endure the treatment on Earth and she brought over books about the universe to help him on his path. He liked her kind consideration to help him on any matter and enjoyed having a human friend that actually wanted him to be happy. Unfortunately, the journey home wasn't as easy as he expected when he realized humans had yet to venture outside their own solar system. She pointed to a picture of the galaxy as the book compared different types and informed, 'The Milky Way is just one of many galaxies so you'll probably find friendlier aliens further on. Maybe this one? Andro-meeda?'_

'_It's so far away to get back home' he sighed despondently to the large distance between their systems since their fuel was completely gone and slumped his shoulders. He felt there was no hope for a better tomorrow and could only hope that he and his mother would have food and shelter for the coming month._

'_We have years to make a plan and if anyone can do it, it's you' she encouraged with a cheer because she wanted to see him inside a home like hers so they could play together in their yards as equals. He was her smartest friend and believed in him, even when he didn't, and piped up, 'I could be an astronomer and find out for you, they have very good telescopes. Or maybe someone here has the information.'_

'_You believe I could go back one day?' he asked timidly since many of his friends told him it was useless without the mothership in working use and he'd no idea how to fix it. His only plan would be to figure it out but he knew nothing about engineering!_

'_Of course, even if no one does, I'll be there telling you otherwise' she assured with a warm smile and he hugged his friend for believing in him, even if nobody else did._

His half-lidded gaze shifted from Amaya to his little Oliver,

'_And over there is the North Star, wave to it' Amaya's adult voice chuckled softly and grasped one of her hatchling's hand to wave jokingly at the dark sky. Oliver simply pulled his mother's hand to his mouth to suck on it as he cooed contently to his new pacifier, uninterested in the stars above. She held him against her chest with a fond smile and looked at the sky through the dusty bedroom window to coo, 'Look, sweetie. One day, you'll see all those stars when your papa takes you home and he can tell you all about them. You'll see Saturn and Jupiter . . . maybe even a comet!'_

_She pressed her nose against his cheek as he purred softly for the motherly embrace and tried to entice, 'Don't you want to know about space? Hmm?'_

'_I think he's ready to sleep' Christopher chuckled from behind as he watched his mate trying to educate their three-month old hatchling about the universe but their little one wasn't biting. He kneeled down to where she sat on a wooden crate while leaning against the cement wall for support and peered at his son as he sucked on his mother's fist, his blue eyes threatening to shut close with slumber. His finger gently traced over his son's tiny hand and he purred softly with affection, 'Aren't you, my little one? You're not old enough for stargazing yet.'_

'_He likes it' Amaya defended lightly with a smile and withdrew her hand from Oliver's mouth. The hatchling narrowed his eyes for losing his object of attention and glanced around, little tendrils curling in disappointment as he whimpered hopefully to his mother for placation. She placed him over her shoulder to stifle his yearning and his hands grasped her nightgown as she soothed, 'There, there. It's not healthy for you to put foreign things in your mouth.'_

_His blue eyes brightened to the diamond shaped stars outside as he finally took notice of them through the scratched dusty window and he cooed softly in interest. Amaya smiled victoriously at Christopher at managing to pique his interest and chuckled, 'See? He loves it.'_

_Oliver spent many nights gazing at that dark veil filled with diamonds of hope since he was born and his parents encouraged him to believe in everything he dreamed of._

Christopher watched his son squeal happily at every new object he saw flying through space as Amaya held him quietly with a placated smile. She was finally at peace where she belonged, alongside her son, and although he didn't know their true relationship, waking up to see him every day was worth it. Christopher never felt such peace in years after toiling through many jobs, losing his beloved family, and enduring harsh conditions that no sentient being (even animals) deserved. He leaned against Amaya to experience the same tender moments he'd shared years ago when they had been together as a couple and squeezed his son's hand with a smile as everything he'd worked for paid off.

Yes, he was free but the rest of his people weren't and he knew . . . his road to completing the journey had just begun.

* * *

_A/N_: Life has unbelievably hectic since early August and I pray it will end by mid-October. College life interfered with editing this semester but I finally posted this big guy to begin the journey of Christopher and Wikus' new life. I will never tire of sweet Oliver because his design is adorable- those big blue eyes melt me into a motherly goo pile. Thank you so much for following me into the sequel and fav'ing and alerting the tale, it's been so slow for me to update any of my stories right now due to a huge test in October that tells me whether I'll get into nursing school or not (all those A's better pay off during test time). Anyway, we'll continue with Christopher's insistence of Amaya admitting the truth and Wikus integrating himself into his new life in the next chapter!

_ZabuzasGirl_: Yep, we got a glimpse of baby Oliver turned into quite the diplomatic figure in the future. His parents really want their little one to have a future and they accomplished it.

_CLTex_: I'll be going lots of places with Christopher while poor Wikus is stuck in District 10.

_Fallenfaeangel_: Really? That is wonderful to hear! I love a lot of genres and different medias to write about- I even considered writing about Mass Effect once. Right now, I'm immersed with writing my Assassin's Creed story since I love humor the most while this is my most serious story of all- well, until we meet the poleepkwa cast on Thalis. Don't worry, Oliver will learn the truth soon and the two will grow stronger from it because she'll be glued to him to keep him safe from harm.

_storywriter1994_: After faking that he didn't love her anymore, Christopher totally needs to pour his heart out with everything he's been holding back. He's quiet with his emotions while Amaya has never hesitated to voice hers, which will help in making up the lost time. Out of all the stories I've written, Amaya is the only OC who seriously deserves her love after everything she's endured throughout the years. If she could actually exist, I think she'd be running for office somewhere in Jo'burg.

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_I am excited to explore the universe I've crafted for this awesome film and hope to have you along for the ride. Thanks for reading and please, drop a review._


	3. Fork In The Road

**Music Inspiration: **_Two Steps From Hell- 'Missing Letters'_**  
**

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_"The time is always right to do what is right"_ - Martin Luther King, Jr

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**Fork In The Road  
**

* * *

Amaya fixed the items she'd brought inside her tote since that was all that remained of her Earth life. Band aids. . .helpful. Nail polish. . .useless. Tissues. . .useable. Hair spray. . .she doubted neat hair would impress aliens. Mints. . .Oliver could eat those. Makeup. . .her dark circles needed help. A hand towel. . . .

"This stuff is useless, it's only for a wedding day" she grumbled flatly about the particular items because they weren't 'escape from earth' worthy. If so, she would've brought a suitcase of essentials fit personal care for the next three years. Not to mention, a pair of clothes that weren't seeped with her blood. She halted her rummaging for a moment to sigh in relief about the best parts of leaving her world because that was the positive affirmation she needed now more than anything. There would be no wedding and she was alive on a ship she'd never have believed would work in such a perfect condition. The technology of Christopher's people was amazing and she would ask to learn about his engineering culture to know what kind of future awaited Oliver because he was a bright one. She smiled widely to the silence filling her room as the advanced mothership failed to utter a peep and whispered softly, "I don't have to marry anyone. I feel bad for Davin but. . .this is what _I _wanted. . .to be with my Oliver. I don't have an obligation to anyone and can do whatever I want."

Looking at the ceiling, she waved an index finger and joked gently, "Take it easy on me next time, lord. I don't think a bullet hole is the answer but you have your mysterious ways."

She'd already hidden the trinket box containing her mementos in the high cabinets of the room to make sure they'd stay safe throughout the trip. Oliver could be quite a scamp when it came to rummaging but she made sure he'd never find that certain box. Not yet anyway.

"How can I tell him his mother's human? From the same kind of people that mistreat him?" she asked to herself with an ashamed tone and brushed strands of her unruly hair back. Even in a ponytail, her thick frizzy black hair managed to irritate her and she frowned to her stubborn mane. Well, at least she'd packed a bottle of smoothing balm for her hair so she wouldn't resemble a poodle. She brushed her palm over the crown of her head with a renewed smile and chuckled softly, "Good thing Oliver has no human phenotypes and didn't inherit this. He has a nice set of thick green scales just like his father."

She rummaged through the bottom of the tote and found nothing of value to be worn either. Only a toothbrush and hair brush were usable but found herself thankful for the former since waking up with dragon strength morning breath would have Oliver and Christopher shooing away from her. Deodorant had been thrown in for nervous sweating so at least her bodily odor wouldn't offend the two poleepkwa. Finding a copy of her vows, she ripped them in half because most of those heartfelt words belonged to one man alone and it wasn't Davin. Still, she may not have married him in the ceremony but they'd signed a marriage license as all couples had to before the wedding to prevent any religious snafus. Knowing that she was legally married didn't help the fact she was a million miles away from her planet and Davin would file for an annulment. That is, if he was told of her desertion and didn't believe an accident or kidnapping happened. She really hoped nobody had caught her on film with Christopher and decided to twist the truth by claiming he'd used her as a shield to shed more bad light on the poleepkwa.

_I'm sure Elenor will take care of it for me after all of the second guessing I spoke of_, she thought in contemplation and hoped Davin wouldn't pine over her since they'd dated for a few years. The bond tying her to Christopher, unfortunately, was airtight as Oliver connected them and it was one that was unbreakable. They would return together to free the rest of his people but for now, she could do nothing for those on Earth and keep walking with Christopher to achieve his goals. She hated the thought of not fighting for equality for everyone, human or poleepkwa, and wondered what would become of her spot on the firm, _I'm sure MNU is having a party._

"Go ahead and celebrate your pants off, I'll be back soon" she declared firmly with a low grumble since she couldn't fight them legally anymore but her disappointment turned to delight when she noticed another helpful item. She grasped the white medicine bottle with a perky smile since she'd definitely need the item and laughed with delight, "Ooh, painkillers. These will be great for the monthly visitor. Ooh, lotion!"

Christopher walked in to see Amaya hugging several hygienic items but she dropped them onto the floor as soon as she noticed his presence. Oh dear, had he seen her hugging inanimate items? Clumsily, she leaned down to grab each item and quickly chucked them onto her new bed to smile modestly at him. After years of living apart, she'd forgotten how it felt to be within feet of him but in the end . . . she couldn't touch him or live in the same living space. It brought new changes for Amaya as she tried to find her comfort zone and she threw her tote over her new finds to smile modestly in welcome, "I was just. . .um. . .what brings you here?"

"Oliver wanted you to tell him a story" he informed with his own modest glance as his antennae dipped but she smiled widely to hearing their son needed her. Even as something as small as helping him sort through clothes or tell a tale brought her delight. Christopher loved to see her face light up at the mere mention of their child and wanted to keep nudging her in the direction of confessing the truth. He wanted to provide her with the most contact possible with Oliver to increase that need as their bond strengthened and explained with a soft trill, "I've been doing so the last few days but I have to make a maintenance check for a few hours. Can you stay with-"

"Of course!" she replied instantly without a single hesitation and thought about what stories her little one would love to hear. He was fascinated by tales of adventure, humor, and friendship but he wasn't picky over what genre his father decided to choose for a bedtime tale. It wasn't a frequent occurrence since the nights in the district were usually riddled with loud noises or gunshots but when Christopher could, he would regale him with tales. Amaya counted on her fingers eagerly as she spouted off ideas that came to mind for input, "I don't know which to recite, there's been so many. He liked the Ugly Duckling but he's always sad at the start and you were just confused, remember? There's the Three Little Pigs or maybe I could tell him one of your old childhood tales?"

"Anything will suffice, Amaya" he assured with a warm trill as she continued to count every story she knew out of memory. Christopher remembered how she used to recount tales during Oliver's first year to lull him to sleep and climbed into bed to read a novel with him if he wasn't tired. They were old joyful memories of the past that he couldn't relive but he could provide a future for his family where they wouldn't have to live in fear.

"Is everything okay on the ship?" she asked softly, not wanting his dream to be short-lived and endanger their lives. Christopher had lived in a district where education had been banned and the only lessons he had were those from his early years on Thalis and those of his mother. He wasn't an engineer or pilot but he tried his best with the automatic navigation system. He nodded to reassure everything was fine and she relaxed her shoulders because one single malfunction would send her running to scoop Oliver into her arms. She sighed nervously to that horrible thought since no human had ever been on alien ship before and lightly tapped his arm to joke, "Don't worry me now."

He shook his head to her playful banter and she smiled widely to cross her arms, glancing at him tenderly to say, "Did you hear how happy Oliver was to say he was free? I worried every single day for him for seven years, Christopher, and it's a huge weight off to know he's safe. You always keep your promises, no matter the high statistics against them or time. I wish it hadn't taken this long or been as disastrous . . . but you're both free and I know that one day, so will your people."

She blinked rapidly to push back tears since they arose any time she spoke of their son and hoped that someday, she could have what she and Christopher shared years ago. That sweet untainted love they held as they build a small life in a bleak district; it didn't matter where they lived as long as they were together. They were older now and had trained themselves to put everyone else first which made her wonder if there was a chance. She loved him beyond anything and would die for him just like she almost did back in the district. He was the only one.

"That will be the first priority when we arrive back home" he promised with a soft purr and reminded himself to find Wikus' cure along the way. If their technology survived and was still intact, the cure would be easier to concoct than assembling rescue for his people. Every time he fell asleep, he wondered whether his people had survived on Thalis and what the current state of their world was. He noticed shredded paper on the floor and asked curiously, "What did you tear?"

"My marriage license" she replied easily with a carefree grin since she was free of an unwilling union and could roam anywhere now. How could she not enjoy this grand opportunity? She was going where no man had gone before! It was an immense relief off her shoulders and turned to ask him, "Why?"

He stared at the bits of torn paper as the idea of her and another tugged at his heart. Had they really signed a union contract together? Was she truly bonded with a human? Human customs were still strange to him due to the physical separation between species in the city and he asked calmly for clarification, "You were mated to him then? I was under the impression that it was the day we left."

"Human marriages require a license first before a ceremony takes place so the license was drawn days before and the ceremony was then" she answered softly to make the news easier to bear but it made no difference to her current status. In her mind, she was still Amaya Turin and would not be changing that name anytime soon- not unless he asked it of her with his own customs. His anetenane flattened against his round head in disappointment and she walked over to him to grasp his shoulder to insist, "I told you I didn't want to marry him-"

"And now you are" he broke in quietly and she saw the rapid blinks that told her he was upset. How many times had they fought on this and she'd pointed out all roads would lead to her marriage to Davin? She wished he could speak to her as he used to years ago, trusting her completely, and wanted to gain that lost confidence. He refused to meet her gaze as he stared at the torn papers and murmured faintly, "You're legally bound to him-"

"Not out here and marriages can be annulled if sex hasn't occurred and it _hasn't_ since I told him not until after the ceremony" she admitted sheepishly to the rules of modern marriage in her area and shook her head to shake his disappointment away. Why couldn't he see that she held no love for Davin because his was unrivaled? He was the father to her dearest child and she stated gently, "That's the choice you stuck me with, Christopher. I'm going to Oliver and you should patch up whatever you need to, okay?"

His hand grasped her forearm and she resisted from trailing her fingers over his skin as he asked tentatively, "Do. . .do you wish to go back to him?"

"Would my answer change anything?" she asked softly and gazed into his golden orbs to search for a flicker of that old love that left them breathless after a romp in their bed. She'd never seen him look so tidy in her life as his green skin shone brightly like polished emerald- he really was a handsome person to her. She could only wonder how the garb of the poleepkwa would look and remembered his hasty scribbles of robes with other items that were incredibly foreign to her. Her face became crestfallen to what would await her upon return to Earth and she whispered solemnly, "You'd still want me to be with my people and you'll push me back to them when we return-"

"That will be your choice" he cut in with a sigh as he laid out his real feelings on the matter because his mind had run circles over it. He'd done everything to protect her and where did it get her? She was shot and almost died under his inexperienced medical hands. No, he was taking a different approach this time to keep her safe. He released her arm to allow her to fix a few items for Oliver and explained with a low voice, "My choices did not bring out the expectations I wanted. Both of us were almost killed and that is what we must avoid. . .for Oliver's sake. If you want to stay on my planet, you may. I will no longer make decisions for you because we are capable adults now and the last thing I would want is your resentment. I know. . ."

He cleared his throat, restraining himself from touching her smooth caramel cheek, and spoke softly, "I know that I hurt you by imposing my approval of your marriage and it was wrong of me. I just wanted to keep you safe . . . all I've ever wanted was to protect and make sure you were taken care for."

"Humans are very self-reliant and adaptable . . . but I understand" she forgave easily, knowing her ongoing love for him always played a part in her decisions. His actions came from a good place in his heart and although they backfired, she understood. She sought the same for him and their child, leading her to admit freely, "I've always been happy by your side, you can't erase eighteen years of history together and I won't let you. I want to be around Oliver, I've missed seeing him grow up and this is another chance. . .I will _not _make the same choice. He's safe now-"

"You must tell him, Amaya" he whispered gingerly to the next step in their journey but she shook her head meekly with fear to the possible consequences. How would he react to that fact? They had weaved an entirely different story from the truth and it could shatter his self-concept and trust for his parents. Amaya wasn't ready to risk that but Christopher knew their child held the kindest little heart he'd known and assured, "He never holds any ill will towards anyone, especially to you. Our son deserves to know and needs his mother."

"I will but I need time, please?" she pleaded softly and he gave nod of reluctance, allowing her to come to terms with the decision. Her stomach was ravaged by nerves and her palms sweated to the thought of breaking Oliver's heart, closing her eyes to subside the lingering shame. It had torn her apart to leave her little hatchling in his white bassinet as he slept and it was a memory that failed to leave her when she was awake or in dreams. She placed both hands over her heart to disclose her fears to Christopher with a worried whisper, "He means everything to me and I want the timing to be perfect. I can't leave him again, I won't return to Earth. . .there isn't anything left for me there. I need to be with our son but he deserves a mother who won't abandon him-"

"You did not abandon him, Amaya" he insisted firmly and she shook her head, adamant that her choice would come to hurt their little youngling wandering the ship. He squeezed her shoulder gently, wanting to comfort her in a platonic manner despite the fact he wanted to embrace her and never let go. His golden eyes peered into hers to bore the reassurance into her mind and stated frankly, "It worked out in the end, nobody knows his link to you," his thumb grazed the side of her cheek gently as he smiled gratefully, "You did what a true mother would: a sacrifice for the well-being of her child. I know how much it hurt you, how it still does . . . but it's over. No more pretending and looking over our shoulders for MNU."

A raggedy breath of relief left her mouth and she managed a weak smile, "It is, isn't it? We don't have to hide our past and Oliver can roam freely- oh, he'll be so happy to run over the grass of your world. He can swim, just like we said he would. . .it's really sinking in, we're leaving my solar system for yours. . .you're free forever."

"Free as a bird" Christopher smiled proudly, trying out the words as if they were his first words all over again. It was indeed surreal to hear the sound and be the one saying it. He squeezed Amaya's shoulders, seeing that bright spark he'd seen during her prepubescent years that urged him to learn to fly (easier said than done), and resisted the urge to press his head to hers. A brief second was all it took to remind him that she wasn't his mate anymore or if she held the same love after lying to her he didn't. Either way, he spoke from the heart with a whisper, "I couldn't have done it without you, Amaya."

* * *

"I liked it but can I see the little hobbits again?" Oliver chirped curiously and reached for the book in her hands but she raised her hand to stop him. The youngling believed he'd been impolite in his actions but smiled in relief when Amaya tucked the covers around his form cozily to keep him warm. No, she was _never _strict with him and he loved that since he relished her undivided attention. He was so happy to have her beside him so she could play and talk to him; the ship didn't feel so lonely with her there.

"There, so you're all warm and no cold drafts can lick those cute little feet" she teased fondly and prodded his covered feet over the blankets, causing him to thrill happily to her joking. She fluffed his pillow with a smile before handing over her old 'Return of the King' copy with black and white illustrations to her expectant son, watching tenderly as his little fingers flipped through the pages to look at his favorite characters. She'd read that book during her secret stays with Christopher at seventeen, switching back and forth with him to read aloud to get into the popular story. By midnight, she had to pry the book from his grasp as she reminded he had to go to work the following morning. A small lapse in judgment resulted with both of them showing their affection with gentle nuzzling until he reminded her of their relationship ban. All those memories seemed so foreign after seven years of being away from Christopher, from everything they shared until it seemed just a twinkle of the past.

"Are hobbits real?" Oliver broke into her reminiscing and she blinked rapidly, smiling at him as if her faltering never occurred. Her son was too involved in the pictures to notice her rumination and kept flipping the pages carefully. The feel of clean crisp pages in his hands delighted him in comparison to yellow tattered pages that held liquid stains.

"No, just imaginary" she answered gently and placed her hand over the digital pad on the wall next to his bed to lower the lights by sweeping her hands downward. His antennae shot up as the dim lighting told him it was time to sleep and he groaned in disappointment, giving her a pout with those large watery pools of his. As a mother, she was both compelled to concede and read further into the night but stuck her hand out for the book as the latter choice won. His antennae flattened as his most charming expression failed for the night and she chuckled fondly, "Time for bed, sweet pea."

He handed back the book with a sullen 'oh' and cuddled into his warm covers to blink up at her with a light clack of his little mandibles. His left hand clasped over her wrist before she could move her hand to shut off the lights completely and he requested shyly, "Please stay with me? I. . .", he broke off weakly before whispering glumly, "I don't like the dark and father's not here, I. . ."

Amaya nodded silently with sympathy as she took his fear for the dark into account and wished she'd know that particular fact about him. There was still so much she didn't know about her son and the littlest things were the most important to her. A mother should know such things. She'd fed and cared for him; loving him every minute for as much as she could during her free months with him . . . did he know how much she loved him?

_No, but I'm to blame for that_, she thought glumly and slipped into the large bed Oliver shared with his father (the habit of sleeping next to him wasn't easy to let go of). The beds of the poleepkwa were the softest she'd ever slept in as the mattress contoured to one's body shape. It was almost like a cloud! It was longer than the average human bed due to the taller height and the width varied, depending on one's living status. The room had been Laura's and with three children in her arms upon arrival during the exodus, received a bed to hold her and the children. Poleepkwa had no issue with their children sleeping in bed with them during young ages and practiced it for bonding since they were a collectivistic society.

The blankets, however, were of cotton since the survivors had used them for protection against the cold and for food when they'd been trapped over Jo'burg. Christopher had wrapped himself in one blanket with his siblings and when hunger had struck, eaten part of the fabric to pacify the aching in their stomachs. Amaya couldn't imagine the horror of those days and admired how far Christopher had come but he would push onwards to uplift his people.

She couldn't huddle Oliver close like a mother or risk questions but he didn't care, cuddling up against her without a word to purr contently for not having to be alone. He felt safe and cared for whenever Amaya was nearby and with his father leaving to keep the ship in perfect condition, he longed for company. Human children of his age could do without constant companionship but poleepkwa younglings craved it, even sitting next to another would do. His father was lucky to have friends like Jane, Paul, Adam, and Amaya since he never felt alone and could curl up against them to simply snooze in comfort. Amaya rubbed his back gently to ease his worry about loneliness and promised quietly with a caring smile, "I'll make sure you don't spend a minute alone in the dark, okay?"

"Mm-hmm" he agreed thankfully and shifted under the blankets to curl up cozily against her. Body heat and physical contact were wonders for children, leading him to bundle up beside her with a purr as he asked quietly, "Are you scared of the dark?"

"When I was a youngling like you, yes, but I've always been more scared of MNU" she admitted gently as her first meeting with MNU and Christopher popped fresh into her mind. Goodness, she hoped her little one hadn't suffered such things. She'd had nightmares for weeks about that frightening quarantine zone and had longed to know what had become of the first alien she'd met. Fate had a strange way of bringing them together for the long haul and Amaya was happy to be along for the ride.

Oliver whimpered next to her, clutching the overlarge black shirt Christopher allowed her to borrow for sleeping. The sound caught her off-guard and she hugged him closer immediately to cease whatever fear had seized him. Was the dark already scaring her little one? Oliver's hands didn't weaken their grip and he trembled for a brief moment before squeaking softly, "They scared me. I was playing because father worried over fuel and they . . . they pointed guns a-and I-I thought. . ."

Oliver warbled weakly against her chest with shame and Amaya held him tightly at the idea of those bastards laying a hand on him. His soft sullen sounds broke her heart as he clutched her and she kept him close to her side. She could barely hear his words as he whispered fearfully to admit, "I thought they want to kill me. . .I was so scared. . .but father shoved me inside before they could. H-He always protects me."

"Because he loves you immensely" she said with a proud grateful smile, knowing Christopher would sacrifice his own life in a heartbeat for their child. Oliver purred contently as she enveloped him tightly in a hug that took his fear for MNU and the dark away, filling his heart with warmth. Meanwhile, she promised herself that Oliver would _never_ step foot on her planet again. How dare a company armed head to foot in weaponry point a gun at an innocent child? What could his slim form possibly do? He was small! God, her species was pathetic in letting MNU have complete control over an entire species. His wary warbling turned into sleepy purrs as he rested in her arms and she made sure he was tucked in comfortably as she promised, "I'll make sure no humans scare you again, okay? I'm here to look after you whenever your papa's not around. _Nobody _will ever harm you while we're alive."

"I'd like that" he purred fondly and nuzzled his head under her chin, bringing up locked memories of his hatchling days in her mind. The stark realization was that that little hatchling was long gone and her son was a growing youngling just like his father had been when they met. He had no memory of her that they could share- he wouldn't match hers and vice versa- and the thought both compelled her to tell him the truth and to hide it so he wouldn't feel abandoned. She remained awake with her thoughts while Oliver was snug enough to fall asleep instantly, lightly mumbling under his breath, "You stay forever."

Amaya remained with her son for hours, content with hearing the soft sounds of his breathing and his incoherent mumbles of dreamland as he slept peacefully. All she wanted was for him to lead a happy and stress-free life; a complete opposite of what his father endured. She flinched in surprise when the door to their quarter opened and heard Christopher's feet tap against the metal flooring as he entered the dark room. Goodness, time flew by when she was beside Oliver.

"He's asleep" Amaya whispered to him as she tried to pinpoint where Christopher was in the dark and felt the bed shift lightly as he collapsed onto it to sleep. She liked their mattresses, they were extremely soft and vibrations were rarely left when another joined the bed which made for easy slumbering. Christopher merely grunted in return and she assumed he was tired after patching up another level of the ship and running diagnostics. It was a humongous ship and there was only _one_ person to maintain everything. Since their escape, he was meticulous on making sure every level was patched up (especially the engine room) to make sure nothing could go wrong during the journey. In the morning shift, he would skip ahead a few light years to keep their schedule on track and not overburden the recently dormant ship.

"I'm going to head back-" she brought up to break the pin dropping silence that every soundproof room on the ship had and to return Christopher's privacy.

"No, you can stay and besides, I'm sure he's already clinging to you" he broke in tiredly with a yawn and wrapped himself up in the warm blankets, gently squeezing his son's arm to let him know he was there. Oliver merely whimpered in his sleep and kept his grip on Amaya's shirt as he slept on without a disturbance. Christopher's fingers grazed over Amaya's forearm as she held the youngling close and the familiar soft skin brought prickles of bittersweet delight after years without his touch. His voice delighted her ears in the darkness as he informed quietly with exhaustion, "The bed is large enough for all of us so sleep. Oliver will be happy to see you in the morning cycle."

She smiled in the dark and felt the tiny puffs of Oliver's breath against her neck causing her to respond fondly, "So will I. Hmm, my little ray of sunshine."

"Tell him soon Amaya, that is all I will say" Christopher advised one last time since the ship gave them the time and safe refuge for her to admit the truth rather than waiting when they landed on Thalis. They would all need to be strong to tread forward and he wouldn't have Oliver worried over their mission and lineage.

Amaya blended into the quiet room as she ruminated over that decision as one part wanted to spare Oliver the pain of her leave and the other wanted her son back. She had to do what was best for her child and Christopher knew best after she entrusted his care to him. Nobody else knew their son better and she snuggled into the sheets to hold her dear child as she agreed quietly, "You're right, I will."

Yes, it was time everything was divulged to Oliver but she would tread carefully with her words to prevent horrible fallout.

* * *

**A/N**: I was actually going to wait another chapter for Amaya to spill the beans but I can't find my outline for this story (cue dramatic '_why?_'). There are so many notebooks in my house that I've grouped them all together and hope I didn't throw them out- I do so after every semester for classes I'll never use with my major. Hopefully, I'll be able to find my notepad soon but for now, I'll be writing off the top of my head and hope I didn't skip over something important. Thank you all for following the story since it should've been updated sooner but what can you do when life and book issues get in the way? Enjoy your holidays around the world, readers!


	4. Eternal Love

**Eternal Love**

* * *

'_Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do. . .but how much love we put in that action_'- Mother Teresa

* * *

The days blended together for Amaya since there was no real sunlight to ring in a new morning and depended on the intensity of the light to inform her. When she lost count of the days, she looked to a paper calendar that Christopher had brought to keep track of Earth's time. It took a while to adjust to the large vessel but there wasn't much to do since the mothership had been wiped clean after MNU boarded. Only bed sheets, medical tools, and game tables were left in reminder to the old inhabitants. Oliver had happily stocked the kitchen cupboards with the food they'd brought and enjoyed having a real meal to eat every day as he helped Amaya cook. He managed to escape with tasty bites before mealtime for his good behavior and counted himself a lucky boy for living a safe life without fear. From all of Christopher's food boxes, Amaya had happily counted that they could live from canned and dry foods for two years in total so it was phenomenal in case they did have to leave Thalis on a worst case scenario.

Christopher took on the role of captain with great reluctance since he was on his own and thanked both the inventions of coordinated star maps and auto-pilot to return him safely to Thalis. Everything on the ship was advanced in comparison to Earth's space shuttles (which reminded him of ancient relics from his own kind) so maintaining the intricate machinery wasn't difficult. The father of a childhood friend back on Thalis had been a pilot and Christopher remembered visits to the large docking ports. He never knew what became of his dear friend, Garcanuk, since they were not chosen to leave on the first exodus ships and hoped that he'd managed to survive or received a quick death (no child deserved to endure the pain of that plague). Knowing that his little child was safe and wandering the ship, his mind was at ease. No parent could bear the thought of injury to their child and during Oliver's first day of life, Christopher understood why his father had been so adamant that he board the mothership.

He stepped up to Amaya's closed door but the sensors allowed him entrance as the metal door slid to the side. Since the beginning, Oliver failed to leave Amaya's side when he traveled the ship and would only do so when it was time to sleep. Being a young child, he yearned for the companionship that Christopher failed to provide in the district due to his long laborious hours and Amaya fulfilled that longing for friendship. Christopher also caught up on missed time with his son and enjoyed teaching him about the ship so he could continue learning about their engineering capabilities. Oh, how he wished Oliver could've had the schooling he had on Thalis but maybe one day, he could.

"I will be putting the ship in sleep mode as Oliver calls it so use the wash rooms to finish up your day" Christopher announced through the doorway, tapping his hand against it with a friendly trill. Amaya dropped the items of clothing she'd been folding over the large rectangular bed and turned around to nod in acknowledgement. He always came by to announce when the ship's non-emergency power would shut down to conserve energy during the night and she appreciated it. Becoming lost on a return trip from the showers was not an ideal night for anyone on the gargantuan ship.

"And Oliver?" she asked curiously since her little one wasn't far from his father in the large mothership. At least once a day, she spotted her child peeking over his father's leg with bright eyes. As much as Oliver liked to explore on his own, he was always on the same level as Christopher to prevent becoming lost and kept in contact via a communicator bracelet on his wrist.

His father wasn't risking any injuries or worse for his child because he knew how curiosity tended to turn for the worst when one wasn't careful and wanted to avoid that. Christopher had found a few communicators hidden within the cabinets from private quarters since their technology was meant to be operated to each individual's biometrics and nobody else's. It was why MNU never recovered anything vital about their advanced technology and a reason for their animosity. The cabinets of each quarter were part of the walls so when one placed their hand on a white square, the door of the cabinet slid open to reveal the hidden area. Their technology was built to last as they used elements that withstood time and doubted MNU's primitive technology could've even dented one of the walls.

He pointed in the direction of their adjacent dormitory to the right and informed her about Oliver's whereabouts, "Reading his worn books to make himself sleepy but I leave the lights on to prevent him becoming frightened."

"You are the best papa of all" she smiled warmly to his never-ending care for their child while she stayed in the shadows in the role of a friend. Christopher was the kind of father she'd imagined for her child since he treated everyone he met with a friendly smile. After all, he'd managed to draw her attention as a child with his alien features and she'd forged their friendship with persistence. Her time inside the large mothership allowed her constant interactions with Oliver, which satiated her heart at knowing he was safe with her. It had been her dream to spend every day by his side to watch him grow and for the past month and a half, she had.

Christopher slowly entered her quarters, being respectful of her private room since she never treaded into his private bedroom without asking. He couldn't help but wonder about certain nights when she stayed in their bed after Oliver requested she stay out of fear of the darkness. When Christopher instructed him not to do so out of inconvenience for her (and for his aching heart), his crafty son decided to disobey by continuing to do so. Oliver was too young to know what he was inadvertently doing to his poor father but the young child simply wanted to keep his dear friend close because in his eyes, his father would always protect them. His fingertips tapped together in hesitation as he approached her and asked a question that often popped into mind, "Have you decided when to tell him?"

She halted her fiddling with a black backpack that Oliver had given her for their upcoming journey and stood upright to sigh softly, "Not yet, but I hope I can gather my courage before landing."

"He is a kind soul that doesn't judge" he reminded gently since Oliver had a gentle heart that matched his mother's and would understand what Amaya did. Whenever he saw Oliver, he saw Amaya in his eyes as his demeanor reflected hers in every way. Their son might have his physical features but he had her heart. Unfortunately, this was her choice to make and allowed the matter to drop for now. He noticed her packaging different items (food, clothing, and other things) into the backpack that held patches to upkeep it and asked with a soft trill, "What are you doing?"

"Preparing what I'll take and what can be left here or thrown away" she explained as she made sure enough first aid kits and food cans could be taken while clothes would be packed last. If clean water was available from natural water formations, washing one set of clothing wouldn't be a problem. Her wooden trinket box remained on the bed and she fiddled with the lock combination to pop it open, smiling as she lifted the top. Christopher sat down with curiosity to the mystery box she kept closed from everyone on the top shelf of her cabinet and always wondered what she kept within it. He hoped it had nothing of her previous mate that showed lingering feelings because he often wondered if a part of her had loved Davin. He didn't have the right to be jealous after pushing her away but she was the one he loved and it wouldn't be changing anytime soon.

She'd been eyeing one thing in particular and smiled widely when she pulled out one of Oliver's first pajamas during his second month as a hatchling. It was her dearest token in reminder to his younger days when she stayed for months alongside him. The hand sewn neck and abdomen alterations reminded her how special her little one was and how lucky _she_ was to be gifted with such a precious child that was proving to be more brilliant than both his parents. She and Christopher hadn't been too shabby with their genetic pools and hoped that their DNA would be stable within Oliver to allow him to live a full life. Christopher touched the little feet of the familiar yellow pajama and smiled as the soft texture brought back nostalgic memories. Had it really been years since his son had been so tiny? Oliver would age slowly since his people lived for two centuries in comparison to humans but it was still surreal to know he'd been small once.

Amaya smiled forlornly to the lost memories that Oliver would never remember but sighed dotingly nonetheless, "Oh, how little he was and he loved applesauce."

"It still looks new" he trilled softly since he never expected to see it again after knowing how dangerous keeping certain trinkets secret could be. It was why they'd never taken a picture to preserve fond memories and Christopher lied to the district about his child by stating he was a sole parent. Unfortunately, he didn't count on the mother of his child making a getaway with a few treasured items. Amaya could be very defiant when upholding what she believed in and he couldn't help but love her more for it, cherishing her unyielding friendship. Looking from the small pajama to Amaya, he met her gaze as he saw the woman that had flourished from that young mother and admitted, "You were such a beautiful mother, holding our hatchling as he sucked on his fingers for delight."

She chuckled fondly to the memory and blushed lightly to his words as she folded the pajama neatly to return it back into the small box. It would be there for safekeeping from any eyes but theirs and one day, she would give her treasures to Oliver when she passed on from the world. Her eyes lingered on the silver band on her left hand that was given to her on that warm summer years ago and mused fondly, "How could I not love a piece of myself and the man I treasured for years?"

Christopher became silent as the past brought both happy and somber memories but they resurfaced when she whispered, "I still love you. . ."

His amber eyes met hers since he'd never expected to hear those words and murmured uncertainly, "But Davin-"

"You truly believe I'd love him on the same level as you?" she asked firmly as she closed her box, turning to him with disbelief written on her face. How many times would she have to disagree on that until he believed her? There was only _one_ man in her life and she ran a palm over her forehead as she emphasized clearly, "How many times did I try to evade the union? I brought it up continually hoping that you'd change your mind and tell me to stop seeing him-"

"How did you think I felt knowing that you were sharing a life with another?" he hissed back with the same hurt lacing his voice but he'd forced the choice, not her. She'd asked him every time she visited whether he supported the union and he'd swallowed the truth to keep her safe. Everything that had happened was of his making and he couldn't put the blame on anyone but himself. He hung his head as he leaned on his elbows to bear his weight as he sat and spoke with a defeated tone, "That should have been my home, my bed, and I should've been the one you shared your nights with- but no! My people are seen worse than trash and any hope of being with you kept leaving my grasp. I wanted to keep you safe but it went horribly, horribly wrong-"

She embraced him tightly, wrapping her arms around his shoulders to rest his head against her chest as she kneeled on the bed. He returned the embrace tightly after missing and longing for her touch for years, leaning into her arms without fear of persecution. There was nobody looking over his shoulders with an oppressive eye that held a trigger and no laws to forbid him. She was on his ship where he made the rules and for the first time in years, he was as free as a bird in the wind. Her hand stroked the back of his head with a tender touch and she whispered gently, "You were in the forefront of my mind- only you. I refused to love another and I hurt him as well by pulling him into this so not all of us are innocent. There were so many times I wanted to leave to return to you and Oliver but couldn't."

"I wish I could've yelled the truth without risking death for all of us" she continued as she confessed every desire her heart sought during those lonely years until the moment she abandoned her own wedding. She'd never been a liar and starting out like that in a religious house and in front of family would've shamed her conscience for ages. Davin was an innocent man through her plan and she couldn't do that to him when someone that he belonged to was somewhere out there in the world. She'd been lucky to find her other half, despite the horrible laws segregating them, and insisted firmly, "He's my son and you were my mate. No words can ever describe my devotion to you or the love you fill in my heart."

His golden eyes glittered against the bright lighting of the bedroom as his heart filled with warmth and he whispered tentatively, "So you . . . still love me?"

"Of _course_ I love you" she answered breathlessly as tears filled her eyes to his hopeful tone and kissed the top of his head. His skin resembled shiny green grass nowadays with hints of emerald around the jointed areas of his body but he'd become so beautiful. She could only imagine how his species truly looked on the homeworld before humankind had reduced them to nothing on theirs. She touched her forehead against his as she'd done during her youth as a sign of affection (among his kind) and reinforced lovingly, "I've never stopped loving you, not for a mere second. You're my Kraiivyanwe."

"It hurt me to lie and push you away" he admitted shamefully and fell into her arms for refuge and forgiveness. Time could not erase what he'd done and atoning for all of it would bring him peace now that it was all laid out before Amaya. She deserved better than him after fighting in his corner by herself as she lived outside the district. His body shook with remorse as she rocked him gently and Christopher confessed mournfully, "I wanted you safe and happy for all time because I loved you more than anyone else. It tore me to feed you lies about my feelings but you were my priority after giving me Oliver-"

She shushed the rest of his words because she understood his intentions and soothed, "It's all right. This is a new chance for us, away from Earth, and we won't wallow in the past."

He peered up at her with hope in his eyes to what she implied and his antennae tapped her head as he felt a flutter in his chest. It reminded him of the day she'd admitted her attraction to him and he'd stammered nervously about what a union like theirs could become. Now, they were a decade older and had the freedom to do whatever they wished. Amaya pressed a soft kiss between his eyes as his glittering amber eyes had quite the sentimental effect on her and she whispered sweetly, "Will we continue where we left off or keep doing a runaround? I won't last as long as you will and I'd love to have every moment I can."

Christopher purred softly because she wouldn't last more than a century and if granted a long life, he would carry on without her for another. He didn't want to waste time either after enduring horrible years in the district and agreed, "I feel older than I should be but I'd love to have you by my side until the end. I would be honored to call you my mate, my partner, if . . . if you would have me again?"

"I _should_ make you write me a love poem after that Davin question" she teased playfully since he had a way with words and his eyes were priceless when it came to expressions. He might not have lips like hers to form expressions but his eyes controlled that role as they revealed his inner emotions. His antennae flattened against his head since his forte delved in science rather than the written word and her smile widened to his feeble expression. She kissed his left cheek affectionately before nuzzling the underside of it as she leaned against him to finish, "But I'm not cruel."

He pulled her onto his lap since he'd longed to have her as his mate from that fateful day that he'd asked without breaking that vow. Unfortunately, society had crushed that pledge and the mere hope that they could rekindle what was lost gave him enough courage to pursue it. He would not hide his emotions any more for fear of damaging his friendship with her but Amaya locked her arms around his neck to answer sincerely, "I will love you until the last breath leaves my lungs in this life."

"I will treasure you dearly" he vowed softly with a loving purr since bonds were taken quite seriously among his kind and tearing theirs when they had been young had been agonizing to say the least. It was hard to live without his other half on the same planet they inhabited but now, they would be together until death. He cupped the back of her head to run his tendrils down the smooth length of her neck and she reciprocated by running her fingertips over the back of his head. After years of solitude away from each other in a romantic manner, Amaya was more than eager to bask in affectionate gestures.

His gentle nips on her throat brought back their intimate moments together in their home and her arms instinctively tightened around his neck. Had she really lived so many years without him? Time flashed by so quickly in her mind but Christopher failed to age due to his long lifespan and she could only wonder if it felt the same to him. Her fingertips caressed the sensitive spaces between his scales as they gradually smoothed to the soft skin of his throat and his purr deepened with each feathery movement of her fingers. She still remembered each of his erogenous spots like the back of her hand and smiled as his tone deepened with each touch. Her own breathing was increasing gradually with his as their caresses turned from affectionate to amorous and she murmured with longing, "I've missed you. . ."

Her lips trailed over the soft warm skin of his throat and felt the faint pulse of his heartbeat as the lack of heavy scaling allowed it. It was the only area on his body that held one and remembered running her nose along the area years ago to feel that familiar human feature. She enjoyed hearing each soft purr and delighted trill as her fingers danced over his body, adding softly, "So, so much."

When his fingers made contact with the bare skin of her back, familiar tingles excited her flesh that had been dormant for far too long. Davin could never make her feel like the unique woman Christopher did or give her the roller coaster of emotions she endured when they made love. Her hand grasped his to pull it away from underneath her blouse and she reminded quickly with heavy breathing, "Oliver's waiting-"

"_I've_ waited for years to touch your skin once more- grant me this" he interjected softly with a gentle purr against the crook of her neck as her pheromones overcame his senses. If she had his acute sense of smell, she would've detected his since the moment she pulled him into an embrace. She was lucky not to be bathed in them with her weaker sense of smell because he was having a hard time after years of intimate inactivity. Did she know how easily he was brought to his knees by her unique scent alone?

It was hard not to melt into his comforting embrace since his taller height allowed him to shield her protectively and she stayed put. There was no eagerness to leave on her part and his fingers cupped her chin as he reminded carefully, "Besides, Oliver knows to call you first if he becomes worried but he's always trying to prove himself brave. I'm quite sure our youngling can stay safe for the next half hour."

She smiled widely with blushing cheeks as they contemplated on a different reunion and felt delightful anticipation for the first time in years. Would he take notice of any differences on her bare body after seven years? Would she notice the same on his? Her fingertips smoothed over his chest to draw circles over the blue fabric and her voice lowered as she doted sweetly, "He is rather brave, isn't he? And we made that bright eyed child."

Yes, they had, and that love hadn't withered over time.

"My heart hasn't stopped yearning for yours" Christopher purred softly since he'd been lonely from the day she'd left Oliver in his care. Now, she was back in his arms to continue down the life path they'd started as a couple years ago. Her lips traced over his tendrils, drawing him close by the collar of his simple blue shirt and his body went lax to her touch. Her fingers lowered to the hem of the shirt to shed the clothing from his body and she smiled tenderly to the polished emerald skin of his chest, placing her palm upon the center. Continuous bathing had shed any last remnants of tough dirt stuck onto his body and Christopher truly felt like a new man after his second shower. Who wouldn't after seeing their skin turn two shades lighter?

There were no muted colors due to lingering dust and she could see tiny markings from lighter hues between each scale and she whispered tenderly, "I can finally see _you_, not the dirt clinging to your body, but who you are."

Her smile turned into pure curiosity as her fingertips moved lower to outline his sides and mused softly, "You have light green markings between each of your scales. I've never seen these on you for all of the years I'd known you. If our son grows to look anything like you, which he already does, he's going to be a magnet."

Christopher chuckled with delight to the idea of seeing his son as an adult one day and venturing out to create his own life in the galaxy. He wouldn't be the same man without that bubbly child by his side after Amaya had left and he'd be nothing without either of them. They were his lifeblood and fueled him to continue on with his mission because if he couldn't do it, nobody else would. The mothership was in his hands and only he knew what was occurring on Earth while his people were stranded. He brushed back her loose thick black hair with a gentle hand and peered into her blue-gray eyes to promise fondly, "I assure you that he will give us grandchildren to be proud of one day. Who knows, he might even name one after his mother."

Amaya's smile shook to the idea of meeting little hatchlings to call as her dear grandchildren one day and embraced him tightly with a kiss to his neck. Nobody else could fill her with hope and joy- simply pure _completion_- as he did with every word he uttered. Christopher's old feelings of shame and inadequacy faded as he was free to be himself, to eat and bathe like any sentient being. He was no longer a stain in MNU's grip as he could move freely and slowly return to being the man that his culture taught him to be from his earliest lessons in life. Her carefree smile brought one onto his face and his long fingers cupped hers affectionately to trace his fingertips over her familiar skin. If they met fabric that obscured his mate's body from view, he didn't hesitate to remove it and Amaya teased his eagerness. He replied with the same since her own fingers were pulling at his cotton pants to remove them from his body with haste.

Amaya burst into laughter when she slipped from his grasp as he tried to remove her jeans and fell onto the floor on her butt. The impact failed to affect her as their innocent haste to begin their festivities made them clumsy and Christopher's shoulders slumped, displaying her jeans in one hand. Well, he managed _one_ of his goals at least and Amaya shot him an amused smile. Being nearly naked brought no bashfulness from either party as her victory pants were humorous enough and she chuckled heartily, "If anyone ever asks about our interspecies antics in the bedroom, we can display the pants as a trophy."

Christopher placed them beside him as he leaned down to pick up his mate with careful hands and she fell into his embrace with an impish smile. Nobody else could make him laugh like she did and another bout erupted from his throat when she folded them to declare they were the first Earth pants to be handled in space for an amorous battle. There was a playful ambience to their reunion as the fear of persecution and oppression had been completely lifted from them. There was no fear of being caught unaware as she pushed him underneath her, straddling his hips with hers as she leaned down to meet his face for an open mouth kiss. The familiar tip of his larger tongue brushing alongside hers sent delightful tingles down her spine and she squeezed his hips with her soft thighs.

A deep purr reverberated through his chest to echo against hers in effect to their passionate kiss and she parted her lips from his to whisper silkily, "I've waited years to spend a moment like this with you. Just us and endless freedom. . ."

Her eyes closed briefly in content to the silence around them as only their breathing was audible and she smiled with appreciation, "I've never felt so free in my life."

Christopher agreed wholeheartedly on that part because they'd been incredibly lucky to survive leaving Earth. His hands roamed over her smooth back and outlined her recent scar in reminder that he almost lost her to her own people. They were no longer the innocent children that had met at that shopping center and bore the scars for believing in a greater dream to free his people. There were times they had believed they could unify bought their people under a peaceful banner but time had whisked it away. The agonizing fear he'd felt the day they escaped was one he never wanted to relive and cupped the right side of her face as he purred dearly, "I always hoped I'd have you in my arms again. It was a stupid dream after telling you to bond with another but . . . you were my mate once."

The last words were barely audible but they stroked her heartstrings with the emotion lacing them. Sitting up, he pressed his body against hers to nuzzle her neck and inhale her unique scent after missing Amaya for years. She groaned against the feel of his tendrils grazing the crook of her neck with feathery sensations while his palms cupped her shoulder blades to keep her in place. Her left hand teased the spaces between his scales behind his neck as they held similar bundles of nerve receptors like humans. They were only located between the spaces of each adjoining scale since the outer ones held little sensation in order to protect a poleepkwa's body. This time, she couldn't feel the tiny specks of dust that lingered there but smooth polished skin that belonged to the brilliant man she called her mate. His tongue joined his tendrils to taste her smooth velvety skin that was alien but dearest to him and he murmured, "I never want to lose you again."

"You won't, not as long as you fight for me" she promised with a caring smile because their bond would be eternal and rocked her hips against his to begin their reunion. With their little Oliver occupied by bedtime reading, they had enough time to bask in their love and reacquaint themselves in the bedroom.

* * *

Christopher tucked her close as her naturally warm body brought him tranquility within the loneliness of the ship's silence around them. The blankets from her bed kept their bare panting bodies cozy as they lay together as a couple for the first time in years. Her hands smoothed over his chest in contentment as her nose nudged his throat, snuggling close to him as she'd missed doing so for years. She'd gone through her family, a city, an entire district, _and_ MNU to get to him- an act that he'd never forget. His soft purrs reverberated from his chest as his antennae playfully tapped on her head in affection. Although they were from two different cultures, not to mention species, they blended their affectionate gestures so their union was mutual. She'd longed for days they could spend in bed without worry that they'd be caught for simply loving each other and she sighed serenely, "This is what I dreamt of ever since the day I confessed that I loved you."

"I still can't believe you wore a dress into the district" he trilled with amusement in remembrance to her sheepish words as she'd wrung her hands nervously while admitting her affection. His exhausting day had been lifted with a ray of warmth as Amaya confirmed what he'd hoped for and he'd professed his love in every way possible. His fingers weaved through her frizzy black hair that was dampened at the scalp from their lovemaking and his trill lowered to a purr as he whispered, "We can build our dreams on Thalis and if the worst comes to be realized, we can move to another planet and build a colony of our own. There's a world called Mira, near the center of the galaxy, that is a pure natural paradise with beautiful magenta sunsets and two moons that have stirred numerous poems for its beauty."

Her gray eyes brightened to the prospect of a new life alongside him since she'd never imagined traveling out of her home planet. She wasn't an astronaut and to be the first human in space was a heavy responsibility since only she could gauge the effects of interstellar travel on her body. Christopher wouldn't allow anything to happen to her, especially now that their future held hope, and proposed, "There are many peaceful beings in the galaxy, Amaya. The Daki were always very kind when I read and saw transmissions in the news, calm and concise like true scientists. They were considered one of the most intelligent races in our galactic government, alongside ours. We were much younger when we joined the republic so we learned much from them to branch off into our field of engineering. They have usually been the ones to uplift species ready to join the many already inhabiting this large galaxy."

"How do they look like?" she asked curiously since she'd never heard about alien species before as the focus of their talks was his culture. She learned about the structure of their architecture in the cities, the branches of engineering that they dominated in space, their foods and culture, and milestones in life. Now that they were heading to Thalis for aid, they had to ponder on the fact that they would need aid from other alien races. Amaya was a new alien in space and the thought of meeting another species was frightening but curiosity lingered as well. What would they think of her? Would they imprison her once they heard what Earth had done to another species? Could she redeem the fraction of her people that held her peaceful mindset?

"They are about your height with colors ranging from yellow to dark orange on that scale" he answered carefully as he conjured the image of the lean petite beings that made up for their size with intelligence. He had the honor of meeting one during his father's visits to the sky stations for projects and Christopher had tagged along with excitement at meeting an alien. Since childhood, he thought his species was the leanest but there was another similar to him! The Daki had been an older male of his species as his speckled orange skin had turned duller with age and he recounted, "They have large almond-shaped black eyes with heads that peak out a little longer than yours in the back. They have four fingers to allow better dexterity but they are highly intelligent since they tend to be the majority that uplift species ready to join our government. Alongside us, we were the engineer masterminds and with the Uleri, they dominated the Special Intelligence Operations to keep the peace."

"I would like to see more of this universe that I've apparently missed out of for many centuries" Amaya chuckled softly since there was an entire galaxy awaiting her. She hoped to shed a kinder light on the faction of humanity that didn't pose a danger to alien life. Would she meet a Daki? Or one of these unknown Uleri?

"Could we perhaps have a family to see this galaxy together?" he asked hesitantly and his antennae flattened as he posed the question that had been poking his mind. It was all he'd wanted for years but the laws had pried them apart for Oliver's safety and they'd complied. Now, Oliver was old enough to know the truth but Christopher wanted Amaya's support in moving forward with it. He hoped he hadn't overstepped his bounds by putting heavy emphasis on it and offered an alternative, "You don't have to answer me now-"

"It depends on Oliver" she stated without hesitation since her priority was her youngling now that she was there to provide her role as a mother. She understood why he asked since she wanted to return to her younger days when they had been a happy family, even if stricken with poverty. Her palm smoothed over his ridged cheek as she pressed her forehead to his and she smiled fondly, "His happiness comes first and if he's fine with it, I won't hesitate to agree. Despite all of that, I love you and it will never change."

His mouth nuzzled the crook of her neck and she pulled him close by locking her arms around his neck. He fell onto of her from the strength of her affectionate tug and laughed softly to her enthusiasm after longing for such moments through the years. Her lips littered his face with chaste kisses as his tendrils curled in effect to the warmth settling in his heart and she requested sweetly, "Mate with me again. My contraceptives are still good for two weeks and I've missed you for _years_, Christopher."

"It's a shame we started this late into the trip" he murmured charmingly and she chuckled, tapping his small immovable antennae in return. She never did forget his sweet spots, did she? He was proud to call her his mate once more and this time, nothing would tear them apart. If anyone tried to denounce his union, he would fly to the most remote colony and live out his life with Amaya and their son. Of course, he'd have to figure out schooling for his child but he wouldn't ponder about farfetched maybes since the galaxy was more permissive than Earth. His hands cupped her soft round face as he locked their gazes and whispered softly, "There are no words to describe my happiness at this moment."

She smiled warmly when he pressed his forehead to hers and whispered tenderly, "All of our hard work wasn't in vain. We can have another chance for ourselves while giving our son a future, not to mention the others on Earth. A future where he isn't afraid and can roam freely as he desires without fear of persecution."

"With a mother and father alongside him this time" he murmured contently to that long forgotten dream because now, it wasn't so farfetched. He could provide his son an education once he freed his people but if he couldn't achieve it or died in the process, he would make sure Oliver knew his grandparents had monetary accounts offworld. His father had transferred everything out of Thalis' main banking branch to one of the Daki's colonized planets, Arnak, since the family expected to wait at a refuge center provided by the republic. Christopher and his siblings might not have lived the life his parents envisioned for them but he would leave everything in Oliver's name, meaning enough money to provide him a decent education and life until he was of age. After decades of interest, the account had to be worth something since only Oliver was his descendant to inherit.

Amaya broke her gaze from his as their talk returned to the truth and she sighed with guilt in her eyes, "It is time, isn't it?"

He was ready to allow her the option of postponing it but Amaya knew he would keep poking her about it for Oliver's sake. Their son deserved better but Amaya feared to lose the trusting friendship that took her years to build. How could she remove the blindfold she'd placed over his eyes for the real truth that had purposely evaded him? The thought of his bright blue eyes glaring at her with mistrust was a horrible image to ponder but in the end, he needed to know. It wasn't simply because of morality's sake but health wise since he was a hybrid child and needed to have a doctor (non-human, of course) oversee his genetic coding for anything strange. She leaned back against her pillow to watch the silver ceiling with worry furrowing her brow but knew it held no easy answer for her. This was her choice to make alone and she closed her eyes to murmur weakly, "I can't drag it out forever and he's such a sweet little child. I will tell him tomorrow morning but please, help him understand that I only left to protect him because I wouldn't have if-"

"I would never allow any blame to befall you" he interjected firmly because she'd been entirely heartbroken to leave Oliver alone without his second parent. How could one bear knowing they willingly left their child and admitting it to them? To see the same face that greeted you in later years but knew absolutely nothing of times shared during their early months? Oliver would never recollect the moments that both of his parents recalled clearly and Christopher promised quietly, "I know what happened that day and it will never be erased from my mind. You can't forget your child's wails or the fact you can't bring back what his heart desires."

It had taken Christopher an hour to settle his child's cries when Oliver realized his mother wasn't returning after crawling all over their shack trying to find her. She'd always come to his side when he called for her in the morning but his little voice eventually muted when his throat ached after endless chirps. Christopher could only rock his son back to sleep as he whimpered in longing but time dulled the emotional despair in his heart until Amaya became a distant blurry memory that couldn't be recalled. He pulled his mate against his chest to offer her comfort from the plaguing memories and reassured gently with warmth in his golden eyes, "He loved you once in his life as a mother and does so as a friend right now. He carries our best traits and knowing how we are as individuals, could you truly see our son acting as anything but understanding?"

"I'm a lucky woman to have you" she smiled appreciatively as tears blurred her vision and embraced him tightly. He became entangled in the sheets as she clutched him close with grateful words but Christopher acted like any other mate would with his partner. He would provide unyielding support to his Amaya when her strength wavered and together, they would love and protect their Oliver.

* * *

**A/N**: So sorry about the lateness but life and stories intervened since I received writer's block on more than one. The chapter came out longer than I originally intended since Oliver was supposed to know the truth but I promised he'll know it next time. They need to land on Thalis soon so that little alien will be running happily with his new family. Not to mention, we need to check on Wikus on Earth. I will try my best to update within the month since I do love my sci-fi stories the most and crafting worlds for both District 9 and Avatar is wonderful.

Thank you for the never-ending support on this story and the reviewers:

_ZabuzasGirl_: Thanks for the PM, I need a little budge when I'm overdue.

_xXRoweenaJAugustineXx_: He'll find out in the next chapter but he's going to be happy for the second parent he's always wanted.

_CLTex_: Thanks for loving the story, I try my best with each chapter- even if it takes a while for an update.

_storywriter1994_: I still haven't found the outline so I'm going off the top of my head since I know it goes: 1) Oliver finds out the truth, 2) District 10, 3) the arrival on Thalis, 4) Christopher finds the truth about his people. Hopefully by then, I'll find the outline.

_Princesa de la Luna_: I hope this chapter was long enough for you, I always try to make each about 16 pages long.

_Guest_: Hope you like the update!

* * *

_Here's a sneak peek for what I have in store for the next chapter, my faithful readers:_

Christopher was reading the recent test reports on the ship's maintenance when Oliver burst through the door, squeezing in before the door had finished opening fully. His entire frame shook as he scuttled over to his father and Christopher detected the distress radiating from him. Instantly, he left his work station to approach his frantic child with a sympathetic face to calm him and kneeled down to ask carefully, "What's wrong, Oliver? Did something happen?"

His blue eyes were wide with uncertainty as he tried to form the words and managed to stammer, "Amaya, she . . . she told me you never hatched me . . . that _she_ carried me."

His little hands wrung together with worry to what he'd heard and warbled softly, "Why is she lying to me? I-"

Christopher embraced his concerned child to wash away his fears and closed his eyes gratefully at knowing Amaya had begun to tell him the truth. He'd expected Oliver to be skeptical since he had been the only parent in his life for years and wasn't surprised by his visit to confirm everything with him. The truth was sensitive enough for his child to question his origins but Christopher would smooth over everything carefully with him. He didn't want to lower his sense of trust with Oliver either and met his gaze to state softly, "Son, I want you to know that Amaya and I would only lie under dire circumstances. I . . . we did it to protect you, I didn't want to but she was worried that MNU would find you."

Oliver warbled weakly as his entire origins were ripped away to be replaced with something entirely new. His father hadn't borne him? Was Amaya truly stating the truth with her tale? His father didn't want to cause stress to his young mind and squeezed his shoulders to explain gently, "_Amaya_ was your bearer because I loved her very much in my youth and she found her way to me after delivering you. Your egg was small because we didn't think humans could carry one and we knew nothing about the true compatibility of our genetics. How could we when education was denied to us about either species? She begged me to find any help that I could to make sure you survived as time ticked away and I ran to ensure her wish. Jane kept you in her hatchery until you were ready to hatch and I was there to hold you when you were born but Amaya wasn't due to her schooling."

"She . . . created me? But why. . ._why_ did she leave me?" Oliver asked with a trembling voice and his antennae flattened at realizing that she'd been there the whole time and didn't know. All those times the dreams of another holding him were fragments of long forgotten memories- not dreams. The pain of loss and abandonment at the end of each dream that had been laced with idyllic love and comfort were pieces of a puzzle that was being solved in front of him.


End file.
